16.9 C
Nicosia
Friday, March 29, 2024

Latest News

Powered by:

Stormy waters for CyBC after parliament rejects 2019 budget

Relevant News

The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation is in dire straits after parliament yesterday rejected its 2019 budget.

Ruling Disy and opposition Diko joined forces to vote against the public broadcaster’s budget. Edek abstained while the remaining parties voted in favour,

CyBC cannot legally now make any expenditure.

Legal circles say the government must now submit a different budget to parliament. If it is not approved before the end of the month, there is a danger that employees will not be paid.

Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides will on Monday meet the board and management of CyBC to decide on the next steps.

Petrides said he would be contacting the parties that voted against the budget to discuss what changes must be introduced to allow its approval.

CyBC chairman Andreas Frangou expressed regret and said CyBC will continue to operate as normal.

Before the vote, Disy president Averoff Neophytou told parliament that the ruling party would vote against because CyBC had turned into a soap opera channel.

“We have said many times that we want a public broadcaster modeled on the BBC as regards information, reliability and seriousness, which promotes culture and not just another station competing with the others which broadcasts soap operas,” he said.

He added that rather the improving the situation has deteriorated.

 

Follow in-cyprus on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.