By LRT.lt.

The Council of Europe has warned against a proposal to make it easier to dismiss the Director General of LRT and against plans to freeze, then cut, LRT funding.

“Several ongoing initiatives in Lithuania have raised concern about risks to the independence and effective functioning of the public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT),” the Council of Europe said in a statement on Wednesday.

The draft law on dismissing the LRT director general was prepared by Remigijus Žemaitaitis, leader of the Nemunas Dawn party and one of the initiators of an audit of LRT.

If the amendment were adopted, six out of 12 votes in the LRT Council would be enough to dismiss the director general – down from the current requirement of a two-thirds majority. The vote would also be held by secret ballot.

The LRT Council is made up of 12 members – four are appointed by the president, four by the parliament (two by the parties in power, and two by the opposition), and four by various civil society organisations.

Source: LRT.LT