The standard of equality of campaign conditions for all electoral contestants includes the right to have access to the same commercial rate for electoral ads offered to all political parties and candidates, and that the times and locations of the advertising be on similar terms. This guarantee does not appear in the Georgian Election Code or media-related laws. Furthermore, during the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections, the commercial rates for electoral ads were increased so astronomically (approximately ten times the rates for non-electoral ads) that the less economically well off parties and candidates apparently did not have any opportunity to use paid political advertising. These huge increases in advertising prices for electoral spots in effect created unequal campaign conditions for the contestants. It is thus recommended that the Election Code include a right for all electoral contestants to have access to the same commercial rate for electoral ads, and that the times and locations of the advertising be on similar terms.
