New deadline for Moldova media providers to revise election coverage declarations
The Audiovisual Council (CA) has decided to grant a new deadline for media providers to submit declarations on the coverage of the general local elections of November 5, 2023, after it found that they did not ensure strict or proportional equality of electoral candidates in debates in accordance with current legislation.
“The need to grant a new deadline arose from the omission of the indication by media providers, in the declarations, of the commitment to ensure strict or proportional equality in debates, in accordance with the provisions of Article 90, paragraph 6, of the Electoral Code. For these reasons, the CA rejected all declarations submitted by media providers at today's meeting,” the CA statement said.
The CA announces the changes made to points 26 and 32 of the Regulation on the coverage of elections by mass media institutions, adopted by the Central Electoral Commission, published today in the “Official Gazette”.
Thus, point 26 of the regulation provides:
“The declaration on the editorial policy for the coverage of elections is approved by the CA if in the list of programs with electoral character FSM has included at least three types of audiovisual programs with electoral character from those indicated at art. 90, paragraph (2) of the Electoral Code no.325/2022. In the case of parliamentary, presidential and republican referendum elections, this list of programs also includes, additionally, electoral promotion programs”.
Point 32 of the Regulation provides that media providers who have assumed the commitment to reflect the elections and whose declarations have been approved by the CA “have the right to broadcast information about the electoral process only in news and current affairs programs”.
Therefore, media providers have three days to review their declarations on the coverage of the November 5 elections.
“Declarations completed in accordance with the results of the control carried out by the CA Media Services Control Directorate, must be submitted by Monday, September 4, 2023, inclusive,” the statement also states.
Providers who have submitted notifications on non-coverage of the elections are entitled to review their decision and submit the Declaration on the editorial policy for the coverage of the elections, if they change their mind.
At the general local elections of November 5, 898 mayors and 11,058 local councilors will be elected, of which 9,972 village (communal), town and 1,086 district/municipal.
