Mixed Reactions on Call for Public TV Board Talks

Opposition Conservative Party said it would take part in consultations to fill the seven vacant posts of public broadcaster’s board of trustees; while some others have rejected.

Christian-Democratic Movement (CDM), a leading party in the parliamentary minority group, called on the opposition parties and civil society organizations on September 29 to launch talks on selecting candidates for the vacant seats in the public broadcaster’s board of trustees.

Republican Party leader, Davit Usupashvili, said that talks on filling vacant seats in the public TV should be part of a broader reshape of the broadcaster’s management, including replacement of current general director, Gia Chanturia.

“Otherwise we are not going to simply take seats, without having fundamental changes… aimed at setting the broadcaster free from the authorities press,” Usupashvili told Civil.Ge on September 29.

Pikria Chikhradze of the New Rights Party, a partner party of Republicans from Alliance for Georgia, said echoing Usupashvili’s remarks that new general direction should be elected rather than to make “simply façade changes.” She also said that it would have been better if only civil society representatives nominated board members, instead of political parties.

Kakha Kukava, co-leader of the Conservative Party, however, said his party would engage in the consultations.

“We should definitely take part in this process and nominate candidates with experience in freedom of media,” he told Civil.Ge on September 29.

Some other opposition parties have yet to comment on the matter.

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