SKOPJE, 21.04.2011 – On today’s session the Broadcasting Council (BC) adopted the Rulebook for Conduct of the Media Outlets in the Period prior to the Start of the Election Campaign and the Rulebook for Equal Access to the Media Presentation during election campaign with six votes FOR and two votes AGAINST, within the timeframe, set in the Electoral Code.
On BC’s session it was concluded that beside of the requested opinion from the State Electoral Commission (SEC), in the document which was sent to BC, there is no opinion given by SEC, but only information that SEC had put this topic off their agenda and requested additional information about the public discussion, which was an obligation of BC.
BC holds that this position of SEC is interference in the obligations and responsibilities of its independence as a media regulatory authority.
Prior to the adoption of these rulebooks a wide and transparent public discussion took place, where all stakeholders in the area of media coverage of elections participated: broadcasters, AJM, civil society, the Media Development Centre as well as representatives from the international community in the country.