SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT IS FOR GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO ONLINE NEWSPAPERS

KarabakhOpen
28-03-2008 11:15:43

The parliamentary hearings on publication of books and the press
on March 27 was organized by the NKR National Assembly Committee of
Social Affairs and the Committee of Foreign Relations.

The discussion on the press was heated. The focus was on government
assistance to non-governmental newspapers a provision on which was
included in the law on the budget a few years ago.

The chair of the Committee of Foreign Affairs Vahram Atanesyan
reminded that a few years ago agreement was reached in negotiations
with the government that the government will provide assistance to
non-governmental online newspapers in accordance with the law on
the state budget. But dissatisfaction was voiced that the government
discriminated the media.

On a proposal of journalist and non-governmental organizations a
non-governmental council was set up to coordinate those processes,
however, according to Vahram Atanesyan, the council did not work
well. Member of Parliament Gegham Baghdasaryan also noted the failure
of the council, underlining that the council worked for a year, than
stopped working at all, and the reason, according to the member of
parliament, was the change of attitude of the government.

The members of parliament underlined the importance of government
assistance to non-governmental newspapers, noted that the money
foreseen by the state budget must be equally distributed to
non-governmental newspapers, especially that this year the newspapers
of parliamentary parties got assistance from the government which is
enough for the newspapers to come out.

Gegham Baghdasaryan reminded that this year 55 million drams is
foreseen for NGOs and non-governmental media which must be spent in
accordance with the provision on outlays. Vahram Atanesyan offered
to provide funding to NGOs and the media with different articles.

It was also noted that government assistance does not mean funding
the given media, and cannot have any effect on its policy.

Speaker Ashot Ghulyan and the chair of the Union of Journalists Kim
Gabrielyan said it is necessary to fund online media, considering
their role in presenting NKR to the worldwide information space. "The
government provides too little money for the foreign information
policy and it is necessary to think about this," Kim Gabrielyan said.

Discussion of publication of books in Karabakh was less active. The
deputy minister of education and science Slava Asryan presented facts
for the years 2004 to 2007. According to him, in 2006 10 million
drams was allocated and 16 books were published, in 2007 28 books
were published on 9 million drams.

It was also noted that books by several authors, as well as those
authors who live outside Karabakh but write about Karabakh were
published on government funding.

The author of a number of books Shahen Mkrtichyan voiced concern
that the government provides a lot of money for publishing books but
"almost nothing is done regarding propaganda, policy." With regard
to the intensive anti-Armenian propaganda of Azerbaijan, Shahen
Mkrtichyan said of all the books published in Karabakh over this
period none can be presented to the world. "Perhaps only "Koltso" by
Nvard Soghomonyan," he said. It was noted that not every book should
be published on government funding and there is a huge problem with
"normal books".

The proposals and observations offered during the hearings will be
presented to the government.