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Moldovan parliament slaps restrictions on Russian media

On Wednesday, President Igor Dodon slammed the restrictions, saying they are aimed at undermining relations between Moldova and Russia

CHISINAU, December 7./TASS/. The Moldovan parliament approved on Thursday under two readings a bill envisaging restrictions for popular in the republic Russian television channels. The document was backed by 61 out of 101 deputies from pro-European parties.

Deputies from the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova voted against, as well as the Communist faction that walked out in protest.

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Restrictions have been mulled in Moldova from 2015. The Council of Europe and the European security organization OSCE tried to talk it out of this move. After that the majority Democratic Party of Moldova reworked the bill however this time without sending it to the European Union for an expertise. "The initiative is aimed at ensuring security of the information space through restricting broadcasting and rebroadcasting on Moldova’s territory of news magazines, political and military programs from the states that have not ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television (Russia did not ratify it)," Democrat Sergiu Syrbu said presenting the bill.

Vlad Batryncha from the Party of Socialists said the bill is at variance with the Moldovan constitution which guarantees freedom of expression, adding that his party intended to challenge it.

On Wednesday, President Igor Dodon slammed the restrictions, saying they are aimed at undermining relations between Moldova and Russia. Dodon said he "will not sign the bill under any circumstances".

Under the Moldovan constitution, the president promulgates the laws. He has the right to send them for rework, but only once. If the parliament votes for the former decision, the president promulgates the law, the constitution says.

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