On June 22 upon RA President Serzh Sargsian’s order Sargis Muradkhanian was appointed as a member of the Council of Public TV and Radio Company for six-year term. As it has been reported, the competition for filling the vacant position at PTRC Council was announced on June 6. According to the competition commission’s information, released on June 16, three candidates had claimed for this seat, including Sargis Muradkhanian (see details in YPC Weekly Newsletter, June 15-21, 2012).
The official information on the appointment of Sargis Muradkhanian (“Hayastani Hanrapetutiun” daily, June 23, 2012) also presents his biography, according to which, since 2004 he is the Deputy Chairman of “National Unity” party. In this same capacity, Sargis Muradkhanian appears in the “National Unity” Presidium, party’s managing body, presented on the party’s website http://www.amiab.am/hy/structure/presidium.html. Meanwhile, according to Point 5 of Article 27 of RA Law “On Television and Radio”, members of governing bodies of political parties are ineligible for the position of PTRC Council member. Moreover, Point 6 of Article 29 of the Broadcast Law prescribes that the information on the appointment of PTRC Council member by RA President should be attended with due justification and should be published in media. Nevertheless, in the abovementioned official information, published in “Hayastani Hanrapetutiun” on June 23, 2012, there is no “due justification”.
One has to state again that the principle and practice of forming the Council of Public TV and Radio Company, as well as the managing of PTRC, have so much discredited itselves that the so-called “competitions” for filling the vacant position in this body are not treated seriously by anyone.
