Restrictions on coverage of activities of new cabinet

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SOFIA, 1 August 2001 - New rules for covering the activities of Bulgaria's new government require of journalists and photographers to occupy specially designated places at the Council of Ministers, the director of the governmental press centre Tzvetelina Uzunova announced. The announcement was made right before the cabinet's first meeting on 26 July. The new rules were formulated at the initiative of Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

According to the new rules, all media representatives will be required to cover the cabinet activities from a specially designated place near the Council of Ministers' main entrance. They will not be allowed around the building, except for camerapersons and photographers who will be allowed to film/photograph the first five minutes of every cabinet session. From now on, the media can designate up to five people to report from the Council of Ministers, unlike until now when they were admitted to the building with their press cards.

Tzvetelina Uzunova said that cabinet members will be instructed to use the main entrance and answer journalists' questions. On the very first day after the introduction of the new rules, however, reporters complained that only three ministers used the main entrance when they arrived for the first session.

On the second meeting on 31 July media representatives were not even allowed inside the building, because the session was reportedly "informal". In the meantime, media reports reveal that most of the cabinet members again preferred to use the building's back entrance in order to avoid the hundred or so journalists, camerapersons and photographers waiting for them.

The new system was met with disapproval from the media who have insisted that they continue work as previously. Until now, all reporters could meet the cabinet members on the floor of the prime minister's office and session hall, and had free access to them before every session.

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