The parliament discussed the president s comments and made some editorial changes, without amending the essence of the document. In particular, deputies refused to acknowledge public TV as a state asset, which would consequently grant the cabinet of ministers, as the only body constitutionally entitled to the management of state assets, the power to set up a public TV and radio network and adopt its statute as well as other powers concerning property management. According to Kuchma, the parliament has no power to set up TV and radio organizations and control their operation. The parliament also overruled the president s second veto on the law. On the state funding of the media and the social protection of journalists.
Parliament fails to overturn president s veto on media law.
At the same time the parliament passed a new version of the above laws and took into account some of the comments made by the president. At Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma s suggestion, the definition of a concept for opposition media and also an article guaranteeing their activities have been removed from the law On state support for the mass media and social welfare for journalists. Deputies agreed with the president that the concept of an opposition and an opposition press still lacked legislative definition and because of this it would be inexpedient to include the above provision as part of the law. At the same time, Article 2 of the law has been supplemented by a norm to the effect that state support extends to all the media that act in accordance with the constitution, irrespective of their ideological or political persuasion and type of ownership. . . . The new version of the law On the procedure for broadcasting the activities of the bodies of state power and local self-government in Ukraine by the media provides for the procedure and type of mandatory broadcasting of the Supreme Council s activities by the electronic media to be defined by a separate parliament resolution adopted at each current session.