MISA Namibia also spoke out against the envisaged interception of private electronic communication in the draft Communications Bill, pushing the topic into the public arena and stimulating debate. At the request of government, MISA Namibia also submitted an alternative draft deemed democratic and in line with international best practices. MISA Mozambique organised a national conference on broadcasting reform and held two provincial conferences in Niassa and Inhambane. Subsequently, a team of consultants was hired by the government to produce a draft bill on broadcasting reform in 2008. Anticipating parliamentary elections being held in several countries in the region, MISA also advanced the case for diverse voices to be heard around elections and for this to be made part of electoral policies. In that spirit MISA, was active in October 2008 discussions on a code of conduct for broadcast media in Botswana hosted by the country’s broadcasting regulator and the electoral body. The code will guide broadcasters in the 2009 election, thereby enhancing the role of the media in the conduct of free and fair elections. MISA Regional Secretariat also continued developing links with like-minded organisations, such as the Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA), to push for broadcasting reform. For example, the media body hosted policy discussions for MPs and other stakeholders on public broadcasting and the crisis at the SABC in February 2009. Research and publicity on broadcasting reform In its monthly online newsletter, MISA Regional Secretariat published updates on the state of broadcasting, telecommunications and ICTs in the region. The impact of the newsletter was gauged through feedback from subscribers, citations and requests to be included in the mailing list. MISA Zambia conducted mini-research into the coverage of the elections by the ZNBC. The study revealed that coverage was biased in favour of the ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) and less coverage was accorded to opposition presidential candidates. Data captured was used to bolster MISA Zambia’s advocacy for reforms. Annual Report 2009 27