Mykola Tomenko: Televised Debates stand for a Hundred of Seconds that determine the Future of Ukraine.
In the course of the briefing in the Parliament, giving answers to the questions on possibility of televised debates conduction between two candidates for the presidential office, M. Tomenko, the Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine declared: "The issue is strictly regulated by the Law "On Elections of the President of Ukraine" and the order of the televised debates conduction, which was adopted by the Central Election Committee." He briefed that according to these documents, on Monday, 1 February 2010, on First National Channel between 7-10 p.m. the television debates between the candidates are supposed to be held and their total duration comprises 100 minutes.
According to M. Tomenko, "obligatoriness" of televised debates presupposes that both candidates are allowed to take part only personally. "Actually, one pf the candidates may not participate hence 100 minutes will receive the other candidate", - he emphasized.
The Deputy Chairman announced that the compulsory transmission will be held on the First National Channel and by the National Radio Company, though any channel according to the law possesses the right to free broadcast of the debate.
The Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine reminded that in the year 2004 the televised debates between Viktor Yanukovych and Viktor Yushchenko between the first and the second and second and the third round of elections received 71% and 89% of the audience. He declared that televised debates stand for a hundred of seconds in the year 2010 that determine the future of Ukraine.
Mykola Tomenko emphasized that Yulia Tymoshenko during several months suggests Viktor Yanukovych attend the televised debates, though the answer was not received yet. He also stressed that despite all the conditions, Yulia Tymoshenko will be present on the televised debates on 1 February 2010.