Tbilisi: The communication commission of Georgia has issued a written warning to a News Channel Mtavari TV. The warning issued for the negative views of Members of Parliament who have supported the recently adopted foreign agent law.
The commission came heavily on the Channel, as TV has aired some clips that show the members of parliament in a poor light. The commission issued a statement in this regard: “It is very wrong to see the TV channel reporting negative news about the respected Members of the Parliament. This unethical practice needs immediate attention and must not happen in the future. So we have decided to issue this warning to the Channel.”
Moreover, as per the commission statement “ These aired video clips have been creating hurdles for people to choose political associations and can also create problems for the political representatives to participate in the forthcoming elections scheduled in the month of October.”
The Commission further added that “Mtavari TV violated the rules of model code of conduct through their advertisement outside the time frame. This is a clear violation of the rules, regulations, and procedures established by the Electoral Code.”
The TV channel has asked for the removal of the video content so that a fair and impartial election can be ensured. Mtavari TV used to broadcast videos listed in alphabetical order with names of the members of Parliament who voted in favor of the controversial Foreign Agents Bill.
The Foreign Agent Law which was reintroduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party has been a source of controversy. It has faced stiff resistance from almost all opposition parties. The law requires the registration of non-governmental organizations and other civil society organizations that receive more than twenty percent of their funding from foreign countries.
The opposition parties called it the Russian law due to its strict provisions. Recently the President and many other organizations filed a lawsuit in the constitutional court to repeal the law with immediate effect to protect the independence of media houses.
