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Botswana's major opposition parties, Botswana National Front (BNF) and Botswana Congress Party (BCP) have also joined the media in condemning the Media Practitioners Bill. The two parties held their conferences and congress respectively over the country long weekend, July 19-22.

Below is the full text of Botswana media stakeholder's position on the Bill.
The media fraternity in Botswana, finds itself faced with a Media Practitioners Bill, recently published by the Minister of Communications, Science and Technology on the 27th June 2008, that demands a concerted response, consequent to its far reaching implications on Freedom of Expression and in particular Freedom of the Press.

It is apt to indicate that the drafting of this Bill was preceded by a consultative process that sought the views of several stakeholders, culminating in an agreement on principles that should underpin any law aimed at regulating the mass media in Botswana. Some of the agreed principles include:

• To produce a more overarching media bill that covers all media;
• To produce an enabling bill consistent with international best practice and the treaties Botswana has signed and ratified;
• To give