Home > 1.3.1.1.1 Coverage of the election campaign > LITHUANIA - Law on Presidential Elections
 
 
 
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Article 46
 

Conditions and Procedure of Election Campaign



1. After the announcement of a list of candidates for President by the CEC, the candidates for President shall be provided with equal opportunities to participate free of charge in special programmes which are designated for election campaign and produced by the Lithuanian National Radio and Television. Rules governing such broadcasts shall be approved by, actual coverage and duration of broadcasts of the Lithuanian National Radio and Television shall be fixed by the CEC after consultation with the head of the Lithuanian National Radio and Television.



2. Debates of candidates for President on the radio and on television shall be financed with funds of the state budget from the funds allocated for the CEC.



3. The CEC shall:
1) in accordance with the procedure laid down by the law, choose producers and broadcasters of debate programmes;
2) approve the rules on producing debates;
3) distribute the time of the programs in such a manner that the principle of the equality of candidates for President is respected.



4. Groups of candidates for President taking part in debates (consisting of two and more people) shall be set up by mutual agreement and in the event of failure to reach mutual agreement - by drawing lots.



5. All broadcasters shall enjoy the right to produce, on their own initiative, discussion programmes in compliance with the provisions of the Law on Funding of Political Campaign and Control Over Funding. Other terms and conditions provided for in this Article shall not apply to the said broadcasters.



6. Upon the demand of a candidate for President or the candidate proxy, mass media which has made public a compromising material about the said candidate for President must make public the countering opinion of the candidate for President or her/his proxy at least 5 days prior to the election day.



7. For the purpose of this Law, outdoor political advertising shall mean political advertising communicated to the public through audio or visual media. Political advertising announced in public areas, buildings, vehicles shall also be regarded as outdoor political advertising.



8. It shall be prohibited to display outdoor political advertising:
1) on the buildings occupied by state administration, law-enforcement and other state and municipal institutions and agencies;
2) inside or outside the public transport vehicles belonging to state or municipal enterprises, with the exception of cases where advertising areas or video broadcast equipment belong or are transferred for use to third parties who may not be directly or indirectly influenced by the state or municipal enterprise;
3) in motorways and their sanitary protection areas, as well as in streets and along the side thereof, if it might block technical traffic regulation means and road signs, decrease visibility thereof, blind traffic participants, detract attention thereof, thus increasing the danger to traffic participants, and also it is prohibited to use advertising that imitates road signs;
4) on sculptures and monuments;
5) within 50 metres around the building which houses a polling station;
6) without the consent of the owner of the land, construction works or other structures on or in which it is being set up.



9. Outdoor political advertising in protected areas and immovable cultural properties, as well as on their territories shall be permitted only upon agreement with a state agency responsible for the protection of cultural properties and an agency authorised by the founder of the protected area.



10. A person who displayed outdoor political advertising shall have an obligation to remove outdoor political advertising before the beginning of the period established by the law when election campaigning is prohibited.



11. People who have violated the requirements of the procedure for installing and communicating outdoor political advertising shall be held liable under the law.



12. All disputes concerning the election campaigning shall be settled by the CEC.