Saeima committee backs Dita Remberga for media council seat

Latvia’s Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee has nominated Dita Remberga, head of the monitoring department at the National Electronic Mass Media Council, for a seat on the council, LSM reports. The full parliament is expected to decide on her appointment this week.

Nine of the 11 committee members who voted supported Remberga. She was nominated by National Alliance MP Jānis Eglītis.

The committee selected three candidates from an initial field of nine. The other two were Kristers Pļešakovs, executive director of the Latvian Association of Broadcasters, nominated by Latvia First MP Maija Armaņeva, and Žanete Grende, a board member of the Imants Ziedonis Museum Foundation and former politician, nominated by United List MP Ieva Brante.

The other candidates were former Central Election Commission public relations specialist Līga Ādamsone; journalism lecturer Kārlis Dagilis; Latvian Press Publishers Association executive director Guntars Līcis; TV24 news director Guntis Meisters; RS Media lawyer Jeļena Volkova; and Daiga Sproģe, a member of the Council of the Society Integration Foundation and executive director of the Latvian Association of Insolvency Administrators.

Before the vote, the committee heard all nine candidates speak about information-space security, the proportionality of restrictions on freedom of speech, the regulator’s responsibilities, digital platforms and cooperation with the media industry. The committee had also invited organisations working in media, education, culture, science and human rights, as well as other interested parties, to comment on the candidates.

The Saeima appoints council members for five-year terms on the committee’s recommendation. Former council head Ivars Āboliņš announced in early June that he would leave the council to become parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of Culture, led by National Alliance politician Nauris Puntulis.