By Civic Alliance — Latvia
On 13 November the Latvian parliament voted against appointing Jānis Siksnis — the candidate nominated by the Non-Governmental Organizations and Government cooperation memorandum council and selected through an open, procedure — to the Public Electronic Mass Media Council (SEPLP). This is now the second time that the parliament has refused to confirm the Memorandum Council’s nominee, even though the law explicitly requires that one of the SEPLP members be chosen from candidates put forward by civil society.
The law establishes a three-pillar model under which SEPLP members are nominated by the president, the parliament, and the public, represented by the Memorandum Council.
“The Saeima’s decision to reject – for the second time – a candidate selected by the civil society in an open procedure is a dangerous sign. It shows that society’s voice is heard only when it is convenient. It also displays clear disrespect toward the Memorandum Council, the experts who served on the selection committee, and all candidates who invested their time and work to ensure public representation, as required by law,” emphasizes Elīna Grīnhofa, Head of the Civic Dialogue Programme at Civic Alliance — Latvia.
As of now, the Memorandum Council has agreed to meet with the parliament’s Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee, which invited the council for discussions on the next steps in the SEPLP board member selection process.