DUSHANBE, April 12, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Zinnatulloh Ismoiliyon, director of the private TV channel, Simoi Mustaqili Tojikiston or SMT (Independent TV of Tajikistan), has been elected chairman of Tajikistan’s Media Council, replacing Ibrohim Usmonov, who had headed the Media Council for one and half years since it was established in October 2009.

Ibrohim Usmonov reportedly resigned for health reasons.

Two candidates were nominated for the position of chairman of Tajikistan’s Media Council – Zinnatulloh Ismoiliyon and Nouriddin Qarshiboyev, chairman of the National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (Nansmit).

According to Nansmit, after two-day discussions Ismoilyon was elected to head the Media Council.

We will recall that delegations from Tajik Media elected the country’s first media self-regulation body at a meeting on October 30, 2009.  The delegates, representing two-thirds of all media outlets in Tajikistan, elected a nine-member Tajik Media Council.

The creation of the Council followed long-term support by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan for an initiative by leading media associations, media co-operative endeavors and journalists.  That support included a series of training seminars and discussions in which media representatives drafted and endorsed a Code of Ethics, by-laws and regulations for the Media Council.  Media self-regulation specialists from Bulgaria and Germany provided advice.  The German Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development provided financial support.