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Article 81
 

81.1. Election campaigning on TV and Radio stations not considered by Articles 77.1 and 77.4 of this Code shall begin in accordance with a contract signed with the relevant TV and Radio companies.


81.2. TV and Radio companies considered by Article 77.1 of this Code should keep extra airtime in reserve for paid election campaigning. Candidates for membership of a municipality and referendum campaign groups with 20,000 members or more, may not use such airtime. The amount and terms of payment should be equal for all registered candidates, political parties, blocs of political parties, and referendum campaign groups, and relevant information about such airtime should be published at the latest within 30 days of the official publication of the decision determining the Election Day. The total volume of airtime reserved for paid campaigning by each TV and Radio company may not be less than or twice the total volume of free airtime allocated in conformity with Article 80.5 of this Code. 


81.3. Norms of usage of airtime reserved for paid purposes for each registered candidate, political party, bloc of political parties, or referendum campaign groups shall be defined by dividing the total amount of reserved airtime by the total number of registered candidates.


81.4. Airtime mentioned in Article 81.2 of this Code should be presented by TV and Radio companies within the period mentioned in Article 80.4 of this Code. The time and date of election campaign materials to be aired shall be determined by the TV and Radio companies, on the basis of the results of a lottery conducted in the presence of the authorized representatives of candidates, political parties, blocs of political parties, and referendum campaign groups who received relevant notification. The lottery should be conducted within the period determined by Article 80.4 of this Code. Airtime shall be presented on the basis of a contract signed after the lottery.


81.5. if a registered candidate, political party, bloc of political parties, or referendum campaign group refuses to use airtime after the lottery, they should inform the relevant TV and Radio companies about this decision 2 days prior to the broadcasting day. TV and Radio companies shall decide themselves on how to use the vacant airtime for purposes other than election campaigning.


81.6. Allocation of and charging for airtime of TV and Radio companies not considered by Articles 77.1 and 77.4 of this Code, for registered candidates, political parties, blocs of political parties, and referendum campaign groups, shall be performed conducted on an equal basis and under equal conditions. TV and Radio companies that do not observe these requirements and the requirements of Article 78.2 of this Code may not allocate airtime for election campaigning for registered candidates, political parties, blocs of political parties, or referendum campaign groups.


81.7. The contract on allocation of paid airtime should consider the following:


81.7.1. the method of election campaigning;


81.7.2. airtime date and time;


81.7.3. length of the airtime to be provided, and the terms and amount of payment; and


81.7.4. an act on the use of airtime, indicating the list of programs, name of the program and its broadcasting time, to be drawn up after the conclusion of an agreement indicating the form and conditions of participation of a leading journalist.


81.8. A registered candidate, political party, bloc of political parties, or referendum campaign group should submit the payment order for transfer of the full amount of money for airtime to the relevant bank at least 48 hours prior to the broadcasting day. The relevant bank should transfer money immediately receiving the payment order. The bank transfer should not take more than two banking days.


81.9. Payment for airtime should be made from the election fund of a registered candidate, political party, or bloc of political parties and from the pre-election financial fund (hereafter referred to as election fund) of referendum campaign groups.


81.10. if registered candidates, political party, bloc of political parties, or referendum campaign group violate the conditions set by this Code when using paid airtime, the relevant TV and Radio companies may appeal to the court for termination of the contract on allocation of airtime. TV and Radio companies shall not have the right to use the resulting vacant time for election campaign purposes after termination of the contract.


81.11. Paid air time for election campaigning on TV and radio shall be allocated in conformity with the legislation on advertisement.