Via CRD / TI Election Monitor 2007 blog – Onnik Krikoryan has follow ups and further details to issues raised in this earlier issue of the 2007 Parliamentary Election Monitor series.
“…indeed, following on from reports that the opposition allege an official policy of restricting access to the broadcast media by charging higher than normal per minute fees, RFE/RL has an update saying that private TV companies deny the allegations.
…Armenia’s leading private broadcasters denied on Tuesday opposition claims that they were forced by the authorities to set artificially high prices for political advertisements to be aired during the unfolding election campaign…
…Interestingly, RFE/RL interviewed a number of TV station managers, including the head of news at Yerkir Media TV. Unofficially linked to the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun because the law prohibits political parties from owning TV stations, Gegham Manoukian says it’s all just a money-making exercise and has nothing to do with politics…
…Meanwhile, while the opposition complains about the conditions being set for the May vote, RFE/RL reports that the main government party, the Republican Party of Prime Minister, Andranik Markarian, is instead concentrating on recruitment probably because of the huge influx of members to Gagik Tsarukian’s Prosperous Armenia party. The race is on — in the pro-Government camp at least, but sometimes reportedly not in the most democratic of ways…”
Visit CRD / TI Election Monitor 2007 blog for the full article.
