09. 09. 2005

OPPOSITION AGAINST BAN ON PARTY ADVERTISING

BELGRADE, September 9, 2005 - Arguments of the opposition from yesterday's debate on amendments to government's proposal to advertising that with ban of advertising of political parties corruption would enter media, were not convincing enough to the Minister of Commerce, Service and Tourism Bojan Dimitrijevic. Upon the request of DS and SRS MPs that article 87 of the law that forbids the advertisement of parties should be annulled, the Minister responded that it could not happen, because similar solutions were covered by other laws. All of those who seriously deal with politics know that right after the end of one election; serious political parties start the campaign for the next election. This would force political parties and media to make certain secret arrangements and in a way introduce corruption in the media because the parties could formally be advertised only through news programmes, visiting politicians, through something which is not advertising. This would in a way recompense the journalists, and it would not be registered as the expenses of political parties - DS MP Zoran Alimpic said. Natasa Jovanovic (SRS) asked about "minister Dimitrijevic's decision to suggest such an unbelievable solution". She noticed that everything could be advertised, beer, barbecue, let alone parties that have millions of supporters. Minister reminded that the regulation had a similar formulation in some other current laws such as article 106 of the Law on Radio Distribution, according to which it was forbidden to advertise political organisation outside the election campaign, and it determined the fee level from 50,000 to 200,000 dinars. The court proceedings of the amendment upon Government's Draft Law on Civil Protection are scheduled for Tuesday.