Bulgarian MPs Appoints New Members of Media Watchdog

Two members of the Council for Electronic Media (CEM), the broadcast media watchdog of Bulgaria, have been elected by Parliament, local media report.

No debates have been held prior to the election.

The two members, Sofiya Vladimirova and Rozita Mihaylova-Elenova, were proposed by the biggest party GERB and the Bulgarian Democratic Center (BDC) respectively.

Vladimirova has already been a CEM member, and also has experience as a communications officer for ex-Foreign Minister Rumyana Zheleva.

Mihaylova-Elenova has had an extensive career in the PR business, having worked mostly for state institutions such as the Transport Ministry and the Bulgarian State Railways.

The two are taking over as the terms of office of Georgi Lozanov (the former chairman who resigned from the office in February over his reluctance to issue a broadcast permit to a TV station) have expired.

With Parliament's move, a decree issued by President Rosen Plevneliev also enters into force that appoints Betina Zhoteva, until now a Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, to the CEM.