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Press Council makes amendments to its Charter to prolong the Chairmanâ€™s mandate

20 June 2008 13:47 (UTC +04:00)

In his welcoming speech, Chairman of the Press Council Aflatun Amashov asked to commemorate the passed away journalists. Then accounting commission and speakers at the congress were defined. It was announced that 202 out of 218 delegates attend the congress. Chief of the Public Policy Department of the Presidentâ€™s Office Ali Hasanov delivered speech at the Congress. He said problems of Azerbaijani media are a part of societyâ€™s problems. He said the new tendencies of development had been observed since 2001, media legislation had been improved in Azerbaijan, state-regulating mechanism over the media and media state-licensing had been lifted. Hasanov said since 2001 Azerbaijani media had been introduced as one of the leading and free media in post-soviet space. The Government official said Azerbaijani Press had two important problems and President Ilham Aliyev urged the government organizations related to media to carry out huge plans toward the elimination of these problems. â€œOne of the problems of Azerbaijani media is a weak material basis and depending on the separate organizations and wealthy persons. The second problem is a lack of professionals in mass media. There are just 1500-2000 professionals in Azerbaijani media. Both Government and media organizations have to support the expanding of free and independent media to find the way out of the situation and strengthening of material and technical basis of the press. The first condition for that is the strengthening of the Press Council. We have to strengthen the Council, to make it authoritative journalist organization and to raise the Councilâ€™s decisions to the level of court decision to reach the journalist professionalismâ€. Department Chief of the Presidential Executive Office conveyed the greetings and congratulations of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
â€œMr. President said that Azerbaijani media was able to improve itself and qualify journalists which our society deserves. They should find this power and we should do our best for the solution of material and moral problems of journalistsâ€, he said.
Further, President of â€œAzercellâ€ Telecom Joint Venture Halim Atesh conveyed his congratulations to the Congress. Chairman of the Press Council Aflatun Amashov made a report. He touched upon the Councilâ€™s activity since the previous Congress of the journalists. Amashov said that the Council was engaged in the organizational issues and therefore could not fulfill all the planned works. He expressed his confidence that the imprisoned journalists would be released soon and asked the President to help.
â€œRelease of the imprisoned journalists will have a positive influence on Azerbaijanâ€™s imageâ€, he said.
Touching upon the social problems of media representatives the chairman of the council noted that most of the journalists rented houses and had bad financial position.
Chief of Inspection Commission of the Press Council Mubariz Zeynalov also delivered a report. The reports were discussed afterwards. The next issue on the agenda of the Congress â€“ draft on annexes and amendments to the Statute of the Press Council was discussed.
Substitution of the word â€œtwo yearsâ€ with â€œfour yearsâ€ in the first sentence of Article 3.14 of the Statute of the Press Council, withdrawal of Article 3.18, substitution of â€œtwo yearsâ€ with â€œfour yearsâ€ in the second sentence of Article 4.11.1 and withdrawal of words â€œwith term not more than two successive mandatesâ€, substitution of â€œone-year termâ€ with â€œtwo-year termâ€, substitution of â€œsecond yearâ€ with â€œafter end of termâ€ in the Article 4.12.1, substitution of â€œtwo yearsâ€ with â€œfour yearsâ€ in the Article 5.8 were proposed. Vugar Rahimzadeh, Editor-in-Chief of â€œIki sahilâ€ newspaper defended proposal on amendments to the Statute and proposed to put them to the vote. Rauf Mirgadirov, official of â€œZerkaloâ€ newspaper was against to increase of power of the Chairman from two years to four years.
Deputy Chairman of the Press Council Gulu Maharramli stated that amendments to Statute served Chairman of the Press Council to stay at the post and did not agree with it. Arif Aliyev, head of â€œYeni Nasilâ€ Journalists Union noted that amendments to the Statute would negatively influence to the international image of Azerbaijan. He presented the letter of International Press Councilsâ€™ Alliance joined by Azerbaijan in 2003 and noted that the Alliance negatively estimated amendments to the Statute of the Press Council and it might cause to withdrawal of Azerbaijan from the Alliance. Aliyev added that though the Statute was amended, Chairman of the Council could not be elected till the approval of the amendments by Justice Ministry. Zeynal Mammadli, member of the Press Council was against the increase of power of Chairman from two years to four years.
Azer Hasrat , head of Central Asia and South Azerbaijan Freedom of Speech Network did not agree to opinions that amendments served to Chairman to stay at the post. â€œStatute of the Press Council is not the verse of the Koran and it can be changedâ€, he said.
Vusala Mahirgizi, Director General of APA noted that the Statute could be changed and Chairman could be elected and Azerbaijan faced such experiences many times. She added that two-year term of the chairmanship was few and it was possible to increase it. Mahirgizi stated that the amendments should not be related with individuals.
â€œVarious groups of journalists are represented in the Press Council. Why have not they held congress and elected chairman by now? If the establishment of co-chairmanship institute of the Press Council were on the agenda, would the discussions be held in this atmosphere?
Elchin Mirzabayli, Editor-in-Chief of â€œKhalg Cabhasiâ€ newspaper did not agree with persons, who were against to amendments and noted that they had their own interests.
Rustam Karimli, representative of Justice Ministry noted that amendments to the Statute and election of Chairman coincided with law.
Draft law on amendments to the Statute was put to the vote and was adopted with the majority of the votes. Moreover, attendees supported evaluation of activity of the Press Council as â€œfairâ€.
The Congress continues.