Parliamentary committee nominates Dita Remberga for Latvia's media council
Latvia's Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee has nominated Dita Remberga, head of the media regulator's Monitoring Department, for a seat on the National Electronic Mass Media Council. The full Saeima is expected to vote this week.
On Tuesday, the Saeima's Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee nominated Dita Remberga, head of the Monitoring Department at the National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP), to become a member of the council. The final decision on her appointment rests with the full Saeima, with a vote expected this week.
Nine candidates originally applied for the position, and the committee put three forward for a vote. Remberga was nominated by National Alliance MP Jānis Eglīts and received support from nine of the 11 committee members who voted. The other two nominees were Kristers Pļešakovs, executive director of the Association of Latvian Broadcasters, nominated by Maija Armaņeva of the "Latvia First" party, and Žanete Grende, a board member of the Imants Ziedonis Museum Foundation and former politician, nominated by Ieva Brante of the United List.
Other applicants
Before the vote, the committee heard from all nine candidates, who presented their views on the security of the information space, the proportionality of free speech restrictions, the regulator's role, and cooperation with the media industry. Other applicants included former Central Election Commission public relations specialist Līga Ādamsone, journalism lecturer Kārlis Dagilis, Guntars Līcis of the Latvian Press Publishers' Association, TV24 news department head Guntis Meisters, lawyer Jeļena Volkova, and Daiga Sproģe of the Society Integration Foundation's council.
Ahead of the vote, the committee had invited organizations working in media, education, culture, science, and human rights to submit assessments of the candidates.
NEPLP members are appointed by the full Saeima for five-year terms based on the committee's recommendation. The vacancy arose after former council member Ivars Āboliņš announced his resignation in June to become parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of Culture. On the same day, Aurēlija Ieva Druviete, previously deputy chair of the council, was elected as its new chairperson.
