Home > 2.5 Election campaign > UKRAINE - Joint Opinion on the Draft Law on Elections of People's Deputies
 
 
 
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II. Comments on the text of the draft law


H. Election campaign


Article 73(12) creates a right of reply for parties and candidates when they feel that information published by broadcasters was “untrustworthy”. Although a right to reply can be a positive tool to allow candidates or parties to react to critical remarks they consider unjustified, this provision needs to be clarified. There is no clear definition of what is meant by “untrustworthy” thus the broadcaster and the courts would not know what standard they should use in evaluating a request to reply. Failure to clarify this provision could result in abuse of this right by candidates or parties.