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Article 85
 

Electoral campaign monitoring

1. Ten days before the starting of the electoral campaign, the CEC establishes the Media Monitoring Board, which has the duty of monitoring the implementation of the provisions of this Code on the electoral campaign by public and private radio and television broadcasters. The Media Monitoring Board exercises its activity in the entire electoral territory. In order to perform its monitoring, the Board uses the NCRT’s technical capacities. For local broadcasters that cannot be covered by the monitoring tools of the National Council of Radio and Television, local monitors are appointed. Local monitors are placed at the CEAZ where the radio/television broadcaster to be monitored has its broadcasting station. No later than three months prior to the election date, the CEC and the NCRT sign a memorandum of understanding on the rules, modalities and time limits for the use of the technical capacities of the NCRT for the purposes of monitoring.

2. The Board presents its report on its monitoring conclusions for the previous day to the CEC on a daily basis. The report is to be accompanied, as appropriate, by proposals for administrative sanctions. The Board as a collegial organ or each of its members has the right to propose the imposition of administrative sanctions. Local monitors report to the CEAZ where they are located. A copy of the report, together with the opinion of the CEAZ, is sent immediately to the Media Monitoring Board and becomes part of the daily report to the CEC.

3. Complaints of electoral subjects are examined together with the report of the Media Monitoring Board.

4. The CEC examines the reports of the Media Monitoring Board not less than once a week. The CEC adopts a decision on the reports every time administrative sanctions are proposed. CEC decisions can be appealed in accordance with the procedures provided in this Code.

5. The Board is composed of 7 members. Each of the CEC members appoints one Board member. The Board members are to be journalists by profession or work experience, or they are to be media analysts or scholars.

6. Public and private radio and television broadcasters are required to register all their broadcasts during the period of the electoral campaign. These registrations are retained for a period of three months after the conclusion of elections and are made immediately available to the Commission on the request of the CEC.