Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Ombudsperson: Constitution should contain provisions re Broadcasting

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Ombudsperson: Constitution should contain provisions re Broadcasting

    ARKA News Agency
    July 28 2005


    RA OMBUDSPERSON: RA CONSTITUTION SHOULD CONTAIN PROVISIONS RELATING
    TO AT LEAST TWO BODIES THAT REGULATE THE AREA OF TELE-AND RADIO
    BROADCAST

    YEREVAN, July 28. /ARKA/. RA constitution should contain provisions
    relating to at least two bodies that regulate the area of tele-and
    radio broadcast: National Commission on Television and Radio and the
    Council of RA Public Television Company of Armenia, as RA
    Ombudsperson Larisa Alaverdyan said. According to her, RA NA "as
    elected body, capable of ensuring pluralism of opinions and
    representation of various strata of society" should actively
    participate in their formation. Most optimal of the existing variants
    is the mechanism, according to which the list of both candidates for
    the members of the National Commission on Television and Radio, and
    members of the Council of Public Television are presented by RA NA
    and approved by the president of the country. According to her, the
    new staff of regulatory body should be formed at once after adoption
    of the project of constitutional changes.
    According to the ombudsperson, for the country that chose democracy
    and European values as the way for development of the country, it's
    especially important to be adhered to the ideals of freedom of word
    and press, in regard with which it's necessary to make amendments to
    the RA constitution. "I welcome the long-term cooperation with the
    Commission of the Council of Europe "Democracy through Law "
    (Venetian Commission), the goal of which is to perfect the project of
    constitutional changes", she said. However, according to her, the
    provisions of the last version of project of constitutional reforms
    telling about the order of formation of the bodies regulating
    television and radio, submitted to the Commission, cause anxiety. "In
    terms of a developing country like Armenia, the sphere of television
    and radio broadcast has special importance. From this standpoint the
    principle and mechanisms of formation of bodies regulating the
    sphere, which mostly ensure independent and free mass media in the
    country, are important", according to the press release. In words of
    the Ombudsperson, the provisions will hardly contribute to solution
    of the problem. "I am sure that the mentioned principles stipulated
    in the constitution will become the basis, which will enable
    formation of free and independent media in Armenia, guaranteeing
    adherence to human rights and access to objective and comprehensive
    information", the ombudsperson said. A.H.--0-
Working...
X