GERB, the biggest partner in Bulgaria's minority coalition government, on Thursday urged print media publishers to draft anti-defamation legislation.

To avoid potential charges of promoting media censorship, Krasimir Velchev, deputy chairman of centre-right GERB, said he was prepared to initiate a series of meetings with the two unions of Bulgarian publishers to discuss the idea.

Velchev told Trud daily that if publishers were willing to draft an anti-defamation law, he would take the responsibility of submitting it to Parliament for approval.

He also said that about two years ago he had organised a round table on the matter but the publishers weren't interested.

According to Velchev, anti-defamation lgislation should include an article regulating sanctions against journalists writing defamatory stuff.

Another idea of GERB's deputy chair is to propose an amendment to the Constitution that will recognise media outlets as the fourth pillar of power in Bulgaria alongside with the legislative, executive and judicial branches. A change of the Constitution will require the approval of at least 160 of the 240 members of parliament to take effect.

Three years ago Georgi Lozanov, President of the Council for Electronic Media floated the idea of adopting legislative regulations of the operation of print and digital media not covered by the existing Law on Radio and Television.

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