Mongolian Media Law Update
Earlier this year we learned about proposed legislation in Mongolia that could have had a major impact on press freedom in the Asian country. The bill was pushed through, according to NEXT, without the proper period of discussion and review.

The first round in the battle against the law was won when the president vetoed the law and sent it back to the Parliament January 27. Now the legislative body is once again taking up the law.

Our friends at the Nest Center for Journalism Innovations and Development in Mongolia told us the Parliament had taken up the legislation once more. According to the Nest Center, however, this time around there was more opposition to the proposed law from local citizens, civil society and international media and human rights groups.

According to the Nest Center, after the President vetoed the Law on January 27th, the Parliament needed to decide on whether to accept or override the veto within the first 10 days of their Spring session, which opened March 15. The Standing Committee on Law met on the first day of the Spring session and upheld the President's veto unanimously. Other committees of the Parliament also took up the veto and the law. After all that discussion 89% of the members of Parliament voted to sustain the President's veto.

The press freedom and human rights issues addressed in the legislation will be taken up again. However, according to NEST, the Parliament will follow the proper process of proposing and debating legislation.