TIGRAN TOROSIAN: STOPPING OF BROADCASTS COVERING NA WORK IN PREELECTION PERIOD IS NOT DESIRABLE
Noyan Tapan
Feb 20 2007
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. On February 20, a consultation took
part at RA NA Speaker Tigran Torosian’s office with participation of
heads of all NA groups and factions. Issues connected with fulfilment
of Constitutional Court’s February 16 decision were discussed.
To recap, CC had considered as invalid and contradicting to RA
Constitution the provisions of NA Regulations stipulating the
requirement of broadcasting programs covering parliament’s activities
on Public Television.
In response to Noyan Tapan correspondent’s question, Tigran Torosian
said that all participants of discussion hold the same opinion,
according to which not the phenomenon – the issue of covering
parliament’s activities, but the way of its implementation was disputed
at the Constitutional Court. In NA Speaker’s words, in conditions of
presence of CC’s decision the participants of discussion came to a
common denominator that an agreement should be reached with the Public
Television on not stopping programs covering parliament’s work and
a radical solution should be found later for ensuring coverage of
parliament’s activities on the basis of the agreement to be signed
with the TV company.
As NA Speaker affirmed, a solution to this problem will be found
soon with Public or any other TV company, the broadcasts of which
should be transmitted over the whole territory of the country for the
purpose of not depriving the citizens of the possibility to receive
information. In his words, the public should be aware of parliament’s
activities like in all country-members of Council of Europe.
By the way, Tigran Torosian said that Alexan Haroutiunian, Chairman
of Board of Public TV and Radio Company, in the morning of February
20 had already declared that the TV company will continue to broadcast
programs covering NA work, but a problem of changing hours can emerge.