The new Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) government has broken election promises to uphold freedom of the press through its numerous attempts to muzzle the local media. After barely four months in office, the MMD government appears to be ignoring the constitutional provision to uphold a free and independent press. Last month, during on-going parliamentary sessions, controversial information and broadcasting Minister Reverend Stan Kristafor caused a stir in the House when he summoned reporters from the press gallery during a morning tea-break and warned them off “negative reporting” against MMD Members of Parliament (MPs). Kristafor complained: “There is just too much negative reporting. Freedom of speech is not about going to town over an issue and blowing it out of proportion”.