The Election Ethics Commission reported on Thursday that it had considered several complaints to the media coverage of the election campaign, including a complaint by the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) against a comment by a Croatian Television (HTV) journalist in the national broadcaster's report on the publication of financial reports of participants in the December 4 parliamentary election.
The HDZ complained against the way the national broadcaster on 28 November covered the publication of financial reports of participants in the election. The ruling party said in the complaint that despite a warning from the Election Ethics Commission on November 25, the HTV was continuing its inappropriate, biased coverage of the ongoing election campaign.
The party expressed a grievance against HTV reporter Tatjana Munizaba for saying in her comment "Gone is Ivo, gone are donations. That could be the first conclusion after reading the HDZ's financial reports."
The HDZ claims that by making the comment, the reporter maliciously put in the same context the ongoing election campaign and some criminal investigations. The party also objected to Munizaba implicating the incumbent Minister of the Interior Tomislav Karamarko in a company's business activities.
The HDZ said the reporter manipulated the public by failing to say that since 2006 Karamarko had had nothing to do with that company.
The Commission said today that it stuck to the position it presented on 25 November insisting that the Croatian Radio and Television demonstrate neutrality in the run-up to the elections.
