Unofficial translation
February 22, 2010
Upon the request of the Speaker of Parliament, National Democratic Institute (NDI) facilitated series of individual and joint meetings between political party representatives and leadership of the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB). The aim of these meetings was to reach agreement between political parties and GPB regarding the format and the programming of the new political channel. As a result of these consultations the agreement was reached on the main principals that have been signed by the following subjects: Parliament of Georgia, Georgian Public Broadcaster, and Political Parties.
The signatory subjects agree on the following:
- The new political channel ensures regular live coverage of Parliament’s plenary and committee sessions;
- The new political channel shall provide daily, non edited and live coverage of the opposition parties. The parties will be provided with one hour coverage (“Tavisufali Tribuna”), which they shall sequentially rotate among themselves. The program will be broadcasted during primetime (22:00-23:00).
- GPB gives complete latitude to political parties to agree on the criteria for selecting political subjects that will be provided with live coverage on the new political channel (agreed criteria is attached to the memorandum). The order by which political parties will appear on Channel 2 will be decided by political parties and the agreed list will be provided to the GPB by the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
- The channel shall also organize debates on the draft laws being discussed in the Parliament. During non-session period will air debates on political issues. Debates will be aired no less than once per week and political parties will be given full parity. Representatives of parliamentary as well as non-parliamentary political parties shall participate in the program.
- GPB ensures that announcements about “Tavisufali Tribuna” and debates will be aired a day prior to the program.
- GPB ensures the replay of the previous day’s political programs in the morning as long as they do not overlap with Parliament’s plenary or committee sessions.
- In addition, GPB offers the signatory parties to air full versions of their unedited briefings and press conferences on a daily basis.
- Political parties take a responsibility to coordinate between each other times for briefings and press-conferences and notify the GPB about planned event at least one day prior to the event when possible.
- Political parties that are not signatory to the memorandum will not receive full service offered by the new political channel. Although, the channel ensures to air unedited, full versions of press-conferences and briefing of those parties that meet the criteria defined by the memorandum but are not signatories.
- During the live coverage the parties shall act according to the ethic norms envisaged in the Georgian Legislation, other normative acts and the GPB’s Code of Conduct.
- Memorandum is open for signatures until April 1, 2010.
- Note: Memorandum is in force until next parliamentary elections. If the list of signatory parties changes, NDI produces a new list of the signatory parties, also the sequence by which parties appear on the new channel and provides this information to the GPB.
Comment:
Criteria for selecting the parties:
- Parliamentary Parties;
- Qualified subjects;
- Parties that were invited to participate in the State Constitutional Commission;
- Members of the Election Code Working Group;
- Subjects that have overcome 10% threshold during the January 5, 2008 Presidential Elections.