IFEX – News from the international freedom of expression community
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PRESS RELEASE – ARMENIA
29 May 2007
ARTICLE 19 calls on legislators to review law to ensure autonomy of
broadcasting commission
SOURCE: ARTICLE 19, London
(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is a 26 May 2007 ARTICLE 19 press
statement:
ARTICLE 19 STATEMENT on New Provisions for the Appointment of Members of
the National Commission on Television and Radio
ARTICLE 19 welcomes the amendments to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on
the Rules of Procedure of the National Commission on Television and Radio,
adopted on 26 February 2007, and signed by the President on 20 March 2007.
They demonstrate the government’s political will to improve existing
legislation. The new definition of the National Commission on Television
and Radio (Commission) as an "independent regulatory body, which ensures
the freedom, independence and diversity of the broadcasting media" is
especially welcomed.
Meanwhile we remain concerned at the actual level of independence of the
Commission. The stipulation that the Commission will be composed of eight
members (compared with the current nine members), half of them to be
appointed by the National Assembly and the other half by the President, is
a central issue in the amendments. Previously all nine members of the
Commission were appointed by the President. Currently there is also no
mechanism for public consultation for the nomination of members. The new
amendments do not address the issue of nomination. Moreover, there are no
provisions stating that the members should reflect Armenia’s social and
political diversity, or that the appointment process should be open and
transparent.
Although the amendments improve the law, they are still not satisfactory
and fail to guarantee the autonomy and independence of the Commission. This
concern is especially pressing when the Parliamentary majority and the
President have the same political affiliation, as is the case in Armenia.
Broadcasting is by far the most important source of information and
entertainment in Armenia. The difficulty of distributing newspapers,
especially to the remote regions of the country, makes the broadcast media
effectively the only source of information for the majority of the
population. As a result of this central role and its growing profitability,
broadcasting media has crucial political and economic power. Thus, the
independence and the diversity of broadcast media are decisive for the
freedom of expression in the country.
Therefore, it is of paramount importance that the Commission responsible
for the distribution of broadcast licences enjoys full and unconditional
independence from government control and any form of political and/or
commercial interference. The process for appointing members should be open
and democratic and should not be dominated by any particular political
party or commercial interest. Such a process should include public
consultation with civil society in relation to the nomination of members in
order to ensure adequate representation of the political and social
diversity of the country.
In order to achieve this, we recommend that nominations be elicited from
the public through advertisements in leading media outlets, and the
Commission’s selection hearings be held in public, so as to allow input and
comments from any interested party. The appointment of half the members by
the president, and the lack of procedure for nomination of members, clearly
do not meet the international standards listed above.
We therefore call on the National Assembly of Armenia to further review the
Law of the Republic of Armenia on the Rules of Procedure of the National
Commission on Television and Radio so as to ensure the following:
– The president should not have the power to appoint half of the members of
the Commission. Instead, all members should be appointed by an all-party
body, such as the Parliament, or directly by civil society groups.
– Appointment of members to the Commission should be based on public
interest considerations. To promote this, public nominations should be
allowed and advertisements announcing the process should be placed in
leading media outlets.
– The Law should require the Commission’s selection hearings to take place
in public and in a manner that allows for input from any interested party.
– The Law should stipulate that the members of the Commission as a whole
should reflect the diverse makeup of Armenian society.
For further information, contact ARTICLE 19, 6-8 Amwell Street, London,
EC1R 1UQ, U.K., tel: +44 20 7278 9292, fax: +44 20 7278 7660, e-mail:
[email protected], Internet:
The information contained in this press release is the sole responsibility
of ARTICLE 19. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please
credit ARTICLE 19.
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