Membership of the Bulgarian Council of Electronic Media (SEM) has been cut down from nine to five, after parliament approved Wednesday amendments to TV and Radio Act.

Three of the Council's member will be appointed by the National Assembly as opposed to the quota of four that parliament had until now.

The Bulgarian President will appoint two and not four of the members of SEM.

The rotational mandate of the presidential appointees will also be reduced – from 3 to 2 years.

According to the approved amendments, members of the Council will not be allowed to have two consecutive mandate.

Thus current SEM members – Margarita Pesheva, Maria Stefanova and Boycho Kulinski – who have worked on the Council for two consecutive mandates will have to leave SEM.

Parliament rejected today the proposition of the Bulgarian Blue Coalition that the president's quota be suspended and all members be appointed by the National Assembly.

SEM is currently processing the 9 nominayios for a new head of the National Bulgarian Radio (BNR) and will announce the selected candidate on May 28, 2010.

Then the Council will have to elect a head of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT).

The changes to the Bulgarian TV and Radio Act were proposed by members of the GERB center-right ruling party and were met with criticism from the opposition.

Last Wednesday, Bulgarian socialists and the ethnic Turkish party DPS, the amendments to the Act are political and are aimed at influencing the future election of heads of the National Television (BNT) and the National Radio (BNR).

The socialists also expressed doubt that the changes in the number and the election of members of the SEM is aimed at shifting power. According to Bulgaria's left-wingers, the SEM majority will be able to control the future digitalization of BNT and BNR.

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