CRO NGOS SET UP COMMITTEES TO FOLLOW PRE-ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN

RIJEKA, Feb 7 (Hina) - Seven Croatian non-government organisations on Sunday met in the northern Adriatic port of Rijeka to discuss cooperation during the pre-electoral campaign. The organisations established an initiative committee for the Rijeka area, and their intention is to spread their activity throughout Croatia in order to decrease electoral abstinence. They also established an ethical committee of NGOs to follow the electoral campaign on Croatian Radio-Television (HRT). The seven NGOs are the Croatian Movement for Democracy and Social Justice, GONG, HOMO Pula, Forum 21, Open Circle Rijeka, the Rijeka Students' Movement, and the Rijeka-based Istrian Students' Club. Speaking about the ethical committee, Damir Matkovic of Forum 21 said their aim is to prevent television from being at the service of promoting a certain political party. "The new HRT Council is manipulated," Matkovic said, adding "the disproportion in the presentation of political parties is evident." Television is the most important media in Croatia and as such is especially important, given the fact that for 75 percent of the population it is the chief source of information. The ethical committee should follow the entire HRT broadcast during the pre-electoral campaign and point out to disproportion in representation or the favouring of some parties, Matkovic said. He stressed television must become a source of high-quality information which will help citizens decide in casting ballots. Matkovic also reminded of the difficulties faced by local television stations and the negative trend of cancelling radio news programmes. The secretary general of the Croatian Movement for Democracy and Social Justice, Ivan Slaus, said by cooperating, the NGOs wish to build a civic society, by paying special attention to the media. It is necessary to shed light on everything that is damaging to Croatia, he said. (hina) ha