The Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) will propose placing on the agenda of the parliament session this week of the draft law amending the Audiovisual Code, which sets a mechanism for ensuring the information security of the state.

According to a press release by PDM, the initiative is signed by MPs of PDM and PPEM. It aims at securing the information space by limiting the broadcasting and retransmission in Moldova of information-analytical, political, military programs from countries that have not ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television.

According to the authors of the draft, it aims to fight propaganda and manipulation from outside the country, which can cause severe damages to the state information security and its citizens.

The document refers to limitations related to information and analytical programs and will not affect in any way the retransmission in Moldova of entertainment programs or other types of programs of the TV channels outside the country that have not ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television.

PDM leader Vlad Plahotniuc announced in June 2017 that the party registered in parliament a draft law concerning that newscasts, analytical and military programs rebroadcast from Russia should be banned for broadcast by Moldovan TV channels. He noted “the document does not stipulate the closure of some TV channels in the country, but eliminating newscasts which carries propaganda, as Moldova is vulnerable to media manipulation campaigns from outside”.

Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu said that the draft will allow transmission of newscasts developed by the EU or US states. He also noted “televisions that will not comply with the new requirements will be severely amended or even withdrawn their license”.

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