Constitutional Court to Deal with Law on STVR,

Kosice, October 9 (TASR) - The Constitutional Court will examine the constitutionality of the law on the Slovak Television and Radio (STVR). The court at its session on Wednesday accepted for further proceedings a motion filed by a group of opposition MPs who contested the law. However, the court did not comply with their proposal to suspend the effect of the provisions at issue. The law adopted by the governing coalition took effect as of July 1. The former Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) has thus changed into STVR. The motion was filed by the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS), Christian Democrats (KDH) and Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) parties. "We believe that this law is at odds with several articles of the Slovak Constitution and that it contravenes EU law, too," PS leader Michal Simecka said in July. He sees an attempt to take political control of STVR and an attempt to install the government's own nominees in the institution's management as the reasons behind the change of the legislation, rather than an ambition to improve the situation in the public-service broadcaster. MP Zora Jaurova (PS) explained that they objected to the content of the legislation, as well as the process of its adoption, including the exclusion of the public from the preparation of the law and the shortening of the debate in Parliament. The opposition parties also see a contradiction with the Constitution in terms of the guarantee of freedom of expression and the right to information, as well as the ban on censorship. They also objected to the law's contravention to the EU Act on Freedom of the Media and asked the court to turn to the Court of Justice of the European Union as well. ko/mcs