III. DISCUSSION OF THE DRAFT NATIONAL ELECTIONS LAW AND THE DRAFT ELECTION COMMISSIONS LAW

M. Media Provisions

Further, to also address the reluctance of media to provide news coverage and inform voters, the draft law should clearly specify that media should not be held responsible for "unlawful" statements made by candidates.  Responsibility for the content of the free and paid advertisements should be on the contestants. All advertisements, both free and paid airtime, should also clearly identify whether the advertisement is free or paid and who is responsible for the content. The Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR recommend that these changes be incorporated in the draft law. These amendments would improve the regulatory framework for media during elections.