Bulgaria Sees Controversial Overhaul in Communications Watchdog

Filiz Hyusmenova allerted the Europen Parliament about possible attempts of the Bulgarian ruling party GERB to politically control the indepetdent regulatory commissions. Photo by BGNES

The on-going debate on the changes in the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) in Bulgaria continues with the naming of three new members of the regulatory body. The nominations will be put in vote on Thursday, May 27.

The new candidates were proposed by GERB, the political party that hold most of the seats in the present Bulgarian Parliament.

One of the nominees is Nikola Kolev, editor in chief of “Hristo Botev” program at the Bulgarian National Radio station (BNR). He is proposed for a vice-director of the CRC.

Second nominee is Konstantin Tilev, founder and owner of the private “FM Plus” radio station until 2007 and executive manager of “Star FM” radio station. “This nomination may lead to conflict of interests”,ex-transport minister Peter Mutafchiev commented for “Dnevnik” daily.

The third nominee is Irina Romanska, who teaches at the Sofia Technical University in the Computer Systems Department.

Nominees are considered controversial, members of the opposition say, because candidates are allegedly politically connected with GERB.

Earlier in May, Bulgarian lawyer and MEP from DPS (Movement for Rights and Freedom) Filiz Hyusmenova alerted the European Parliament for possible attempts by the ruling party GERB to make political changes in the three main independent regulatory bodies: the Commission for Protection against Discrimination (CPD), the Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) and the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC).

Filiz Hyusmenova, who is also vice-president of DPS, the party which represents the Turkish and Muslim minority in Bulgaria, said that a new law is to be passed envisaging changes in the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) while its members are legally elected for a six-year mandate.

In present the number of CRC members is reduced from nine to five. The only two members still keeping their positions are Veselin Bojkov, who is elected until 2012, and Aneta Pavlova, appointed by the President until 2013.

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