HHO URGES ASCERTAINING CONSTITUTIONALITY OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA RULES

ZAGREB, Oct 27 (Hina) - The Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights' (HHO) Media Council has proposed that the Constitutional Court ascertain if parliamentary rules on electioneering coverage by electronic media with national broadcasting licences are in keeping with the Constitution. #L# The HHO has proposed that the court annul the rules as it believes that the parliament making decisions on issues which are within the jurisdiction of media editors is contrary to the constitutional principle of freedom of the press. The Council believes that the annulment of the rules would not jeopardise current reporting about the election campaign, because general provisions from media legislation and professional rules can regulate electioneering coverage quite sufficiently. Concrete decisions on the number, duration, and content of programmes should be a matter of editorial responsibility of all public media, reads a statement issued by the HHO. The said provisions were also in force in the last parliamentary election in 2000 and were binding for Croatian Television as the only public television and the only holder of a national broadcasting licence at the time. The provisions have now been extended to include private holders of operation licences. They refer to the presentation of election slates in special programmes, special programmes in which party officials confront each other, and paid advertisement. (hina) rml sb