Danko Denies that SNS Would Want to Take Control of AVF's Functioning

Bratislava, June 28 (TASR) - The co-governing Slovak National Party (SNS) denies that it would be interested in taking political control of of the Audiovisual Fund's (AVF) functioning, SNS leader Andrej Danko told a news conference on Friday. The intention is that the people who decide on the provision of money from the fund have no ties to recipients of the support, said Danko and thanked coalition partners for supporting changes in the amendment to the law on AVF. "We are interested in new and additional money going to movies and that there are no people sitting in the commissions who are close to those who receive money for films," said Danko, adding that they don't want to dictate what kind of movies should be shot. Danko sees possible personal and property ties to people who receive money from the fund behind the criticism of the law by the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party. He doesn't know of anyone in SNS who would have ties to people working in the field of film. Danko's party wants the distribution of money to be targeted and the film industry to be supported. Parliament passed an amendment to the law on the Audiovisual Fund on Friday. In line with the new rules, it won't be the AVF director, but its council that will decide on the provision of funds for the support of audiovisual culture. The number of council members will increase to 13, with five of them being appointed directly by the culture minister. ko/mcs