Georgian President Refuses to Sign Amendments to Broadcasting law

The President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili will not sign the amendments to the Broadcasting Law, which gives the state-financed Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) more independency and power as well as the right of commercial advertising.

The information was released by the President’s Parliamentary Secretary, Ana Natsvlishvili.

“The President has now made the decision not to sign the draft law, which was vetoed by the President but overruled by Parliament,” Natsvlishvili stated.

The Law on Broadcasting was adopted by Parliament in late December 2017, but vetoed by the President the following month.

The proposed changes would enable state-financed Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) the right to release commercials on working days in order to generate more money for development.

After vetoing the bill, Margvelashvili attached motivated remarks and returned it to Parliament for re-consideration. He had two main complaints, which referred to the GPB right of commercial advertising and the issue of state procurements.

However, on February 21, the majority of MPs did not take into account the requests of both the media and non-governmental sector, nor remarks of Margvelashvili, and thus with 83 votes overturned the veto.

The draft was again sent back to the President for his signature.

The President of Georgia has thus far vetoed 11 bills. However, the Law on Broadcasting is the only law that the President cannot sign, despite the fact that the veto was overridden. According to the procedures, Speaker of the Parliament, Irakli Kobakhidze, will have to sign the bill instead of the President.

By Thea Morrison

Related story:

GD Majority Overrides President’s Veto on Broadcasting Law Amendments