Open news feed Close news feed
A A

CONSTITUTION DOES NOT PROVIDE GUARANTEES

Politics

Article 24 of the acting Constitution says, “Everyone is entitled for to freedom of speech, including the freedom to seek, receive and disseminate information and ideas through any medium of information, regardless of state borders.” This proves that mass media should be free and independent, however the Constitution does not guarantee it.

“The existence of an independent National Committee on TV and Radio is not fixed in our principal law. Over this reason the Venice Commission has may times proposed to fix the order of formation of the body in the Constitution “, specialist of constitutional rights Vardan Poghosyan noted. He stressed that the constitutions of all the states provide for guarantees for independent pass media. “In countries like Armenia there was never a real public TV or radio company . All the companies are only instruments for political power. And it is the acting constitution that forbids the NA to appoint a part of members of the so-called independent NTRC”, he added.

The coalition’s draft constitutional amendments the following clauses have been added, “Freedom of mass media and other sources of information. The state guarantees the existence and activity of public independent television and radio with a variety of informational, cultural and entertainment programs. Proceeding form freedom, independence and variety of information sources the broadcast is controlled by an independent body, the decisions of which can be re-considered in the court.” However the authority of the NA underwent no changes: it cannot appoint NCTR.

“As compared to the acting Constitution only declarative clauses have been expanded, but mechanisms are absent. Formation of the NCTR without the NA means that all the members of the Committee will be appointed by the executive power – either the President or the government”, Vardan Poghosyan says.

He assures that the guarantees of the independent activity of the NCTR should be necessarily fixed in the Constitution and at least half of the members should be appointed by the National Assembly.

Victoria Abrahamyan