European Council Parliamentary Assembly Concerned with the Situation Created with Georgian Public Broadcaster

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Late night 24 January European Council Parliamentary Assembly approved a resolution on media freedom situation in Europe in the amendments made to clauses 7 and 15 of which concern is expressed with the situation created with Georgian Public Broadcaster.

Parliamentary Assembly resolution covers the media freedom situation in Europe and includes separate chapters for each country in which, as the PA members believe, there are problems with media freedom.

Member of Swedish delegation Leif Johansson made a speech at the Parliamentary Assembly session.

“European Council negatively assesses Ivanishvili’s [Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili] statements on junction of the Public Channel and the 9th Channel and his statements on advisability of change of owners of private television [he meant Rustavi 2 Broadcasting COmpany]”, Johansson said.

The resolution circulated by the Public Broadcaster reads that “the Parliamentary Assembly expresses concern with the unplanned financial inspection of the Georgian Public Broadcaster after which came aggressive political statements by high ranking representatives of the government and plans for suspicious amendments to the TV-radio broadcasting legislation.”

“The given actions preceded Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili’s statements on the plans for joining the Public Broadcaster with the 9th Channel, owned by Premier’s spouse,” resolution reads.

Another clause of the resolution reads that “the Assembly expresses concern with the fact that the government replaced management in the Public Broadcaster after change of government for affecting the political orientation of the given broadcaster.  It is especially concerning that Georgian Premier considered junction of the public broadcaster with a private broadcaster – 9th Channel, the owner of which is his spouse and that he plans changes to the broadcasting legislation.”

When commenting to the resolution, member of Georgian Delegation to European Council, majority MP Levan Berdzenishvili, who did not support the given resolution, told Rustavi 2 that amendments to resolution in relation to Georgia were made by support from Leif Johansson, just because “this man has friends in Georgian opposition.”
Berdzenishvili also stated that at the session of the Committee for Education, Science and Culture, which discussed the draft resolution, opposition members of Georgian delegation proposed the given changes to Johansson and the Swedish MP supported them.

“But,” – Berdzenishvili stressed – “when they tell us not to discuss the amendments to legislation, I’m sorry, but it is Georgian Parliament’s direct duty to discuss draft laws.  Along with that, according to him, as long as the resolution was approved by the European Council, Georgia is obliged to consider the remarks.

According to the above mentioned draft law, submitted to Parliament 26 December 2012,  rules for forming of the public broadcaster board of trustees change completely.  The draft law also provides for reformation of Adjara television into public broadcaster and financial transparency of broadcasters.