Mykola Tomenko, Vice-Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, appealed to the President of National Television Company of Ukraine in order to receive facts why during the discussion on the given TV channel of the "President´s Constitution" there were no politician or expert who might have not supported or expressed doubts regarding the Constitution draft.
The project was introduced according to the President of Ukraine Order "On Introduction for the Whole Ukrainian Discussion "The Bill of the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine", according to which it is envisaged that the television and radio broadcasting organization and other mass media are suggested to publish or broadcast for the discussion the basic principles of "The Bill of the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine", with the participation of the leading specialists and scientists in the fields of constitutional law etc".
M. Tomenko is convinced that free discussion of the constitutional initiatives of the President of Ukraine corresponds to the principles of the democratic society and national law system. "Still, the practices of the project realization revealed considerable drawbacks that brought the whole positive potential to nothing. Due to the chosen format and the participants selection, the program actually is presented as the president´s bill propaganda. The problem discussion resembles a lot "leading and directing" power line representation on the former Soviet television", - M. Tomenko emphasized.
According to M. Tomenko, such approach violates the common principles of the Law "On Television and Radio Broadcasting" as well as the principles of the mentioned President´s Bill on introduction for the "whole Ukrainian discussion" "The Bill of the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine". "Unfortunately one may certify the absence of such discussion on the First National TV channel", - he announced.
"It is obvious that other representatives of different political powers as well as the experts should be involved into the discussion", - the Vice-Chairman is convinced.
In his appeal, M. Tomenko once more has emphasized that "during the last years in Ukraine one may observe a great achievement liberty of speech. Consequently it is logical that a series of programs "Let Us discuss the Constitution" should be adjusted to the Constitutional requirements".