We, the signatory organizations, welcome the decision of the President of Georgia to veto the amendments to the Law on Broadcasting which, together with other changes, introduce vague procedures of procurement for the Public Broadcaster, increase the time of placement of commercial advertising and sponsorship, and deal with other problematic issues. The proposed law considerably increases the risks of non-transparency and corruption in the Public Broadcaster, and is also going to cause damage to private broadcasters and the Georgian media environment as a whole. 

Therefore, we call upon the Parliament of Georgia not to override the President’s veto, to take into account the substantiated arguments of the President, members of the Sector Economy Committee, private media outlets and civil society organizations, and to adopt the amendments in view of these arguments in the form which will not cause damage to the media environment and will be in line with the idea of the Public Broadcaster. 

1. Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association

2. Transparency International Georgia

3. Georgian Democracy Initiative (GDI)

4. Open Society Georgia Foundation

5. Union “Sapari”

6. Liberal Academy Tbilisi

7. Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics

8. International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED)

9. Economic Policy Research Center

10. Human Rights Center

11. Media Institute

12. Georgia’s Reforms Associates (GRASS)

13. NGO CiDA

14. Association “Atinati”  

15. We – for Healthy Future

16. Community Union “Nukriani”

17. Bridge of Friendship “Kartlosi”

18. Bolnisi Language House  

19. Tkibuli District Development Fund

20. Akhaltsikhe Youth Center

21. Democratic Development Union of Georgia

22. Union of Meskhetian Democrats

23. For Better Future

24. Civic Initiatives Association

25. Dusheti Development Fund

26. Resource Center of Self-Government of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti

27. Public Monitoring and Research Center

28. Anti-Violence Network of Georgia – Regional Committee of Mtskheta-Mtianeti

29. SIQA – Georgian Association of Educational Initiatives

30. Regional Development Center                                         

31. Inter-Ethnic Unity of Kvemo Kartli

32. Association “Spektri”

33. Georgian Rural Council

34. Samtskhe-Javakheti Media Center

35. Women for Regional Development