SECTOR 1 marked by the severe sentencing of journalists to heavy imprisonment terms8. It was during this period that a Minister, General Gaston Ouassenan Koné, imposed an inadmissible corporal punishment on the journalist Aboudramane Sangaré of La Voie for a headline (A-fa Kaya) in which allusions were being made to the honour of his family. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator. 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 2.5 (2006 = 2.4; 2008 = 2.3) 1.3 There are no laws restricting freedom of expression such as excessive official secret or libel acts, or laws that unreasonably interfere with the responsibilities of media. There are no legal provisions restricting freedom of expression other than those contained in Article 10 of the Constitution quoted above. Access to information – for all citizens, including the media - is effectively restricted by the circulation of information exclusively within government departments. In practice this allows government officials to invoke their obligation to observe confidentiality. Although there is no specific law that would establish this obligation on the part of public servants, it is systematically invoked in situations that could compromise the administration. The obligation to observe confidentiality is referred to in the document on the general status of civil servants but the concept is kept ambiguous on purpose so as to leave room for interpretation. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER MADAGASCAR 2010 77