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Article 16
 

Election Campaign


(1) Each mayor may reserve a space for election posters 16 days before the date of the elections. He/she must ensure that any such space can be used equally by all political parties, movements and coalitions, or by all candidates standing for the Senate.


(2) The election campaign must be honest and fair. No false information may be published on individual candidates or political parties, movements and coalitions.


(3) No results of pre-election and election polls may be published in any way between the third day preceding the elections to the Parliament of the Czech Republic and the end of the voting.


(4) In total, Czech Radio and Czech Television shall each reserve 14 hours of broadcasting time free of charge for all political parties, movements and coalitions whose candidate list has been registered for the elections to the Chamber of Deputies. The broadcasts shall begin 16 days before the date of the elections and end 48 hours before the date of the elections. The aforementioned time shall be divided equally among all such political parties, movements and coalitions. The particular times of individual broadcasts shall be determined by draw. The political parties, movements and coalitions shall bear full responsibility for their broadcasts.


(5) Any private individual publishing pre-election or election polls in the period starting on the third day before the elections to the Parliament of the Czech Republic and ending on the day the voting is completed is committing an offence. Such an offence shall be dealt with by the regional authority competent for the area in which the private individual has his/her permanent address. Any such private individual may be fined up to CZK 30,000.00. All applicable procedures are defined by special legal regulations5h).


(6) No election campaign concerning any political party, movement or coalition or any candidate may take place in the buildings in which polling stations are located and in their immediate vicinity on election days.


(7) Any corporate body publishing pre-election or election polls in the press or in the course of television or radio broadcasting in the period starting on the third day before the elections to the Parliament of the Czech Republic and ending the day the voting is completed is committing an administrative tort. Any such corporate body may be fined up to CZK 500,000.00. The aforementioned fine shall be imposed by the regional authority competent for the area in which the corporate body has its registered office. All related administrative proceedings must be completed within 3 years following the relevant breach of obligation. Any such fine must reflect the seriousness and method of unlawful actions. The imposition of a fine does not affect the provisions of special legal regulations5i). Each fine shall be payable within 30 days following the legally effective date of the resolution by which it has been imposed. All fines shall be regarded as revenues of the regional authority by which they have been imposed.


(8) No member of any district election commission or special district election commission may provide any information on the course of the elections until the record of the course and results of the elections has been signed; however, it is permitted to state how many voters have already cast their vote.


5h) Act No. 200/1990 Coll. on offences, as amended.