Alpha head demands resignations at Broadcasting Authority

Emmy Bezzina yesterday filed a judicial protest in the First Hall of the Civil Court against the Broadcasting Authority and its executive head, against the government and against the representative of the European Union.

The protest was filed by Dr Bezzina as chairman and founder of the Alpha political party and as a candidate in the forthcoming local council elections.

Dr Bezzina claimed that on March 1 the executive head of the Broadcasting Authority had issued instructions to all radio and television stations in respect of the local council elections.

The authority had not given any opportunities to Alpha political party or to the other independent candidates contesting the local elections.

The broadcasting watchdog and its executive head had, Dr Bezzina argued, inexcusably ignored the Alpha political party and all other independent candidates who, after all, were citizens of Malta and of the EU and who were entitled to contest the elections and to have their views aired on the media.

Dr Bezzina added that Alpha political party had always maintained that the Broadcasting Authority was making a mockery of the concept of democracy and pluralism in broadcasting and he called for the immediate resignation of the chairman and members of the authority's board and of its executive head.

He further warned respondents he would file a report with the European Commission about the anti-democratic manner in which the authority had managed political broadcasts.

It was only Smash Communications Ltd, a private station, that had given some exposure to Alpha candidates as it had aired a programme on local council elections in its programme Minibus.

The government, Dr Bezzina said, was bound to defend liberal democracy and not a dictatorial democracy and it had to ensure that the authority fulfilled its duties in a transparent and impartial manner.

Dr Bezzina said the authority was instrumental in ensuring that the country would continue to be ruled by two large political parties that had both been responsible for the current financial disaster and environmental chaos and with which the electorate was dissatisfied.

Alpha political party declared it no longer had confidence in the authority and it held the authority liable for damages it had sustained.

Dr Bezzina said his complaint would be brought to the attention of both the European Parliament and the European Commission.