not announced any deadline for discussing and approving this bill. This means that it remains very difficult to obtain information from sources in the public administration. Because of the way the ruling party dominated the state since Independence, there was a culture of secrecy, and this inheritance from the one-party state continues. Furthermore, the right to information on certain legal cases is still denied to citizens under the tired argument that the cases are “subjudice” and thus secret. But under Mozambican legislation the concept of “subjudice” does not prevent the release, at any time, of information on the progress made in any particular judicial investigation. Also in 2007, Parliament’s Petitions Commission decided, just as in 2006, to debate its report behind closed doors, a decision taken by the Frelimo majority in Parliament. Thus the so-called “people’s house” denied the petitioners and the public in general of the right to information. The Parliament’s argument in defence of this attitude is that the “good name” of the people involved must be protected. Weirdly, the Mozambican Parliament felt obliged to protect the “good name” of potential offenders. This is probably because most of these cases of injustice and abuse that reach the Petitions Commission and the Courts involve figures from the ruling party, Frelimo. Frelimo has a majority in the Parliament with 160 deputies to 90 from the Renamo-Electoral Union opposition coalition. The draft revision of the Press Law, a document formally launched by the Prime Minister Luísa Diogo, is seen by many media professionals as strengthening the role of the Government (through Gabinfo) in the media. The proposal to issue professional licences is viewed with distrust. Article 38 of the draft amended press law envisages the introduction of a professional licence. Obtaining such a licence would be an obligatory condition for exercising the profession of journalism. Those proposing this change argue that establishing a professional licence is a form of regulation. However, they also recognize that the regulations for the professional licence will be approved by a decree from the Council of Ministers. In other words, this is a compulsory professional licence, regulated by the Government. Thus many journalists in Mozambique fear that difficult days are approaching for the press in Mozambique, although this is a country that has been widely praised for its exercise of the freedom of the press and freedom of expression. The signals that Mozambique is moving into a new phase where the right and access to information will be limited, and the mass media closely inspected by the Government, must be eliminated – particularly after we have received such praise throughout the world for the pluralism of our society. The essence of freedom of expression in any country is to ensure that the Government is accountable to the public, and allows citizens to participate, through the media and other channels, in the development of the country. So This Is Democracy? 2007 -56- Media Institute of Southern Africa