KOCHARYAN VERSUS KOCHARYAN

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Member of Armenian delegation to PACE Shavarsh Kocharyan, speaking Thursday at the PACE session in Strasbourg, objected president Kocharyan’s statement made at the same session room in his Wednesday’s speech that there are no problems in media field in Armenia.

He said state-owned Public Television reflects only official view and secure only the president’s and the authorities’ interests. As an example of that, Shavarsh Kocharyan singled out the 2003 presidential elections. He reminded that the channel developed pro-Kocharyan propaganda and aired views and opinions favourable for only one candidate - the current president.

Independent A1+ TV Company was stripped of its broadcasting license and denied it eight times. The decisions on tenders were made by a commission, all members of which are president Kocharyan’s nominees, Shavarsh Kocharyan said.

Four times National Assembly voted down amendments to the Radio and Television Law, under which the commission members should be nominated by parliamentary fractions not by the president, he said.

“We seek the CE support in our long struggle for democracy in media field.”, Shavarsh Kocharyan added.

Strasbourg
Karine Asatryan
A1+