After serving nearly nine years as chief executive of the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), Berard Dupres says he has faced the most threats, insults and pressure during the past six to seven months under the current United Seychelles administration. He made the comments in an interview with SBC. This was following the approval of the new Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation Bill by the National Assembly.
Mr Dupres said the debate on the new law had affected the reputation of SBC’s management and board.
He said discussions in the National Assembly prompted accusations and innuendo about SBC’s management.
“The concern that I have had since the new bill was announced… is that the management and the board of SBC have been dragged through the mud,” he said. “There have been many accusations and a lot of innuendo about how SBC is being managed.”
Mr Dupres said he wanted to explain the impact that the public debate had on the organisation and its staff.
He said some comments during the National Assembly debates suggested that SBC was being mismanaged, although he said they lacked evidence and proper justification.
“If the bill itself is as good as claimed, it should have stood on its own merit, without personal attacks on SBC workers, not just the board and myself, but all staff working for SBC in good faith, who have been insulted as has been the case,” he said.
Mr Dupres also rejected suggestions that SBC acted in a biased manner during the previous administration.
He cited several programmes that, in his view, demonstrated the broadcaster’s editorial independence.
One example, he said, was the Political Party programme, which SBC introduced to provide access to different political voices.
According to Mr Dupres, the current administration, led by President Patrick Herminie, the United Seychelles party, took part whilst the former administration LDS did not take part in the programme during the five years they were in office.
He said that if SBC had been under political direction, the programme would not have continued.
Mr Dupres also referred to the programme Lopinyon, which he said faced significant pressure but remained on air.
In addition, he pointed to the recent presidential debate, which continued despite former president Wavel Ramkalawan deciding not to participate.
“These are only three examples that demonstrate that the argument that we were being directed or controlled by the previous administration is simply not the case,” he said.
Mr Dupres said the experiences of the past several months raised questions about the goal of strengthening SBC’s independence through the new law.
“If we are talking about interference, I have been in this position for nearly nine years. However, over the last six to seven months, personally, it has been the period during which I have received the most threats, insults and pressure,” he said. “I ask myself, in light of the intention of the new law, which is said to give SBC greater independence, how that objective can be reconciled with the reality that I have experienced over the past few months.”