TIRANA, December 16/ATA/-“The recommendations of the OSCE and the EU are fully reflected in the draft of the media law, which is currently under consideration in various Parliamentary committees,” said Elira Kokona in an interview with Top Channel.
Kokona, who has led the government task force for more than a year on changes to the media law, said that the portals should be regulated in the same way like the law on newspapers, radios and televisions.
In her reaction to allegations that this bill violates freedom of expression in Albania, Kokona said that, “The draft that we have passed as a government in the Parliament and is being approved is in line with the constitutional provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights”.
Kokona turned down claims that this bill is an Albanian product.
In answer to question on the reason why they did not let the media self-regulate, but the government interfered with the bill, Kokona said, “In fact, the media still has the right to self-regulate as the amendments to this package come into force and even had it under the existing legislation. Self-regulation is not exempt from state regulation. The regulatory authorities and regulators as they are often called in the legal systems of almost all countries, both in the region and in the continent, absolutely exist. “/gj.mima/j.p/p.s./
