ZAGREB, Oct 9 (Hina) - In the continuation of its session on Thursday, the Croatian parliament opened a debate on rules to be followed by all electronic media with national broadcasting licences in their coverage of the election
campaign.
ZAGREB, Oct 9 (Hina) - In the continuation of its session on
Thursday, the Croatian parliament opened a debate on rules to be
followed by all electronic media with national broadcasting
licences in their coverage of the election campaign. #L#
Mato Arlovic, chairman of the Committee for the Constitution, which
proposed the rules, said that the parliament was bound by the Law on
Elections to pass rules of conduct to be observed by national
broadcasting media during the election campaign.
The rules would apply to programmes presenting candidate rosters,
programmes featuring representatives of different parties
confronting their views, coverage of election rallies, election
commercials and so on.
Such programmes would be broadcast at different times every day
from the start of the election campaign until the moratorium on
electioneering, which is declared a day before election day.
Parliamentary parties supported the adoption of clear rules for
media coverage of the election campaign in order to ensure
impartial information and the equality of all political parties
participating in the campaign.
Jadranka Kosor of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) complained
that none of party representatives would have enough time to
present their positions during the 50 minutes envisaged for the
confrontation of views because of a large number of parties
competing in the elections.
Kosor warned that journalists promoting party programmes should
put their journalistic work on hold during the election campaign.
The debate on the proposed rules will continue after the break.
(hina) vm