International Secretariat
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www.transparency.org
SIVKOVYCH Volodymyr
Vice Prime Minister for Security Issues
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
12 / 2 Hrushevskogo Str.
01008, Kyiv Ukraine
Berlin, 13.08.2010
Your Excellency,
I am writing to you to express my concern about recent developments in the Ukrainian media, especially about a Kiev court's decision to annul the allocation of broadcasting frequencies to two privately-run TV channels: TVi and 5 Kanal.
When we met on 20 May this year in Kyiv, I remember we had a good conversation about the importance of combating corruption, and you reassured me about your government’s commitment to scale up its fight against corruption. As you know, free media is one of the essential pillars of democracy and good governance as well as the fight against corruption. There is no transparency without a free media, and there is no way you can combat corruption without transparency. Independent and well-trained courageous journalists are our best allies in holding all of us accountable.
What makes me even more worried is the apparent conflict of interest between high level government office and private media ownership in this story. Such a conflict of interest can undermine the credibility of any decisions the regulatory authority will take at the end.
I understand that a hearing in the license allocation case of TVi and 5 Kanal will take place this Monday. I can only hope that it will be open to the public and that your Government will ensure that the allocation process of the licenses will be transparent, fair and free from any political pressure.
As you know, we are not taking side in a legal dispute: what we would like your Government to ensure is the freedom of media without which no anti-corruption reform will work.
I hope you will receive my letter as a request from an organization that is interested in your Government’s success in its anti-corruption efforts.
Let me take this opportunity to also congratulate you on your forthcoming birthday!
Highest regards,
Miklos Marschall
Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia
