Civil society asks parliament to demonstrate transparency

Representatives of mass media nongovernmental organisations ask the parliament to postpone the examination of the draft Audiovisual Code with one month and to organise hearings with civil society meanwhile, to accept expertise and to take into account the notices. According to a memorandum delivered to the parliament, specialised NGOs are sure that the legislation regulating the audiovisual sector requires improvement. However, the authors note that the civil society did not participate in the process of drafting of the Audiovisual Code. They stressed that this process was not transparent at all, while the text of the draft code which was published on the parliament’s website on March 28 was a surprise. Given the special impact of this document on democratisation of our society, we consider that the organisation of consultations, hearings and debates on draft Audiovisual Code in the context with other draft laws on audiovisual delivered to the parliament is very important, according to the memorandum. We are surprised with the hurry with which the parliament has examined this legislative draft, though the concept on cooperation between parliament and civil society reserves 15 days for presentation of contributions to civil society. As representatives of civil society and mass media, the signatories of the memorandum ask the parliament to give the time needed to make an expertise and to hold public debates on this draft and to postpone its examination for one month. The memorandum was signed by the Independent Journalists Centre, Association of Electronic Press, Independent Press Association, Moldovan Journalists Union, Acces-Info Centre, Media–Impact Association, and Committee for Press Freedom and Centre of Journalistic Investigations. The examination of the draft Audiovisual Code is part of the agenda of the April 6-scheduled parliamentary sitting.