Newsroom
Kosovo Election Commission adopts rule on role of media in upcoming elections
PRISTINA 13 July 2001
PRISTINA, 13 July 2001 (OSCE) - Kosovo's Central Election Commission, chaired by the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Daan Everts, yesterday passed a rule on the role of the media in the electoral campaign during the run-up to the November polls.
Under this rule, all certified political parties, coalitions, citizens' initiatives and independent candidates must have equitable representation in the media. Kosovo's media is called upon to ensure that all political entities receive fair exposure.
The rule also directs Kosovo's media to give free broadcast time for political entities certified by the Central Election Commission, and equitable access and pricing for those political parties, coalitions, citizens' initiatives and independent candidates who advertise in newspapers and magazines.
The way in which the rule will be implemented still has to be agreed upon by the Election Commission and will be published as a separate instruction. But the rule stipulates a news blackout period, 24 hours prior to voting, as well as a blackout period for the publication of public opinion polls five days ahead of the vote.
This rule follows a regulation passed last June, which requires Kosovo's broadcasters to carry free of charge voter information produced by the Election Department of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.
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For more information please contact Claire Trevena, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: (+381-38) 500-162 ext. 260, mobile: +377 (044) 500-150, e-mail: press@omik.org, website: www.osce.org/kosovo.
Under this rule, all certified political parties, coalitions, citizens' initiatives and independent candidates must have equitable representation in the media. Kosovo's media is called upon to ensure that all political entities receive fair exposure.
The rule also directs Kosovo's media to give free broadcast time for political entities certified by the Central Election Commission, and equitable access and pricing for those political parties, coalitions, citizens' initiatives and independent candidates who advertise in newspapers and magazines.
The way in which the rule will be implemented still has to be agreed upon by the Election Commission and will be published as a separate instruction. But the rule stipulates a news blackout period, 24 hours prior to voting, as well as a blackout period for the publication of public opinion polls five days ahead of the vote.
This rule follows a regulation passed last June, which requires Kosovo's broadcasters to carry free of charge voter information produced by the Election Department of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.
--
For more information please contact Claire Trevena, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: (+381-38) 500-162 ext. 260, mobile: +377 (044) 500-150, e-mail: press@omik.org, website: www.osce.org/kosovo.