The address emerged owing to reports that the leading television channels planned to broadcast only taped versions of candidate debates.

You can see below the full text of the address prepared by YABLOKO.

Submitted by deputies of the State Duma Sergei Ivanenko and Sergei Mitrokhin

Draft

Address of the State Duma
of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

To Director General of the "First Channel" Konstantin Ernest
and Chairman of VGTRK Oleg Dobrodeyev
on the need for live broadcasts of the television debates
envisaged by electoral legislation

Respected heads of the state television companies,

The State Duma of the Russian Federation expresses its concern over the decision adopted by the First Channel and VGTRK to abolish live broadcasts of debates.

The pre-recording of debates deprives them of any sense, violates the constitutional right of citizens to obtain information and contradicts the letter of the law "On Guarantees of Franchise". The failure of this law to mention a norm on the live broadcasting of debates is attributable to the fact that nobody had even considered the possible pre-recording of all the debates due to its absurdity.

Any editing of comments by candidates in the debates is particularly unacceptable. Showing only pre-recordings of debates may lend grounds to suspicion of falsifications. Even if the records are only slightly edited, such accusations are inevitable.

The abolition of live broadcasting cannot be justified by concerns that participants in debates may violate electoral legislation. Liability for possible violations should be borne by the people who breach the law, rather than the organisers of the debates. We would like to assure the heads and journalists of state television channels that we will do all we can to protect their interests.

The gap in electoral legislation allowing for the possible abolition of live broadcasting of debates will certainly be eliminated. However, this cannot be done within the period remaining before the elections. Consequently the State Duma of the Russian Federation calls on you to review the decision to broadcast only taped versions of pre-election debates envisaged by the law and guarantee to all participants in the debates that their speeches will be broadcast live.

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