Use of State Mass Media in Election Campaign and during the Holding of the Referendum
Candidates for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus, for deputies of the Chamber of Representatives and for deputies of local Councils of Deputies, political parties, other public associations, labour collectives and citizens who have nominated their candidates shall have equal right for the use of state mass media from the time of registration of candidates.
State mass media, mass media partially financed from the state budget as well as mass media one of the founders of which is represented by state bodies or institutions as well as mass media that are partially financed at the expense of state funds shall be obliged to secure equal opportunities for election appearance of candidates, publication and making public the questions and the texts of bills offered for the referendum and making of agitation for elections or referendum.
The candidate for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus shall have the right to publish in the Republican press media indicated in part two of this article his election program amounting to up to five typewritten pages by submitting the text of the above program not later than 20 days before the elections.
The candidate for the deputy of the Chamber of Representatives shall have the right to publish in the republican or local press his election program amounting to up to two typewritten pages by submitting the text of the above program not later than 20 days before the elections.
Election programs of candidates for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus and for deputies of the Chamber of Representatives shall be published in the order they are received.
Candidates for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus and for deputies of the Chamber of Representatives shall have the right for free appearance on the state television as well as on the radio system. The National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus, within 10 days after the appointment of elections, shall provide to the Central Commission the limit of time for appearance of candidates on the state television as well as on the radio. The above time on TV or radio must be allocated for the period when television and radio programs attract the largest audience.
The procedure and the number of appearances of candidates for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus and for deputies of the Chamber of Representatives on the state television as well as on radio shall be established by the Central Commission. It is necessary to provide appearance of candidates on equal footing.
The candidate for deputy of the Oblast, the Minsk City, the regional and the town (in towns subordinated to Oblast) Council of Deputies shall have the right for one free-of-charge appearance on the local state radio. The Oblast and the Minsk City bodies of radio broadcasting, not later than 30 days before the elections, shall submit to the Oblast and the Minsk City territorial electoral commissions the limit of time for appearance of candidates for deputies on the local radio which shall determine the time of appearance of candidates for deputies. It is necessary to provide appearance of candidates on equal footing.
Journalists and official persons of mass media shall be prohibited to conduct information television and radio programs or take part in informing about elections through such mass media if the above persons are candidates for the position of the President of the Republic of Belarus, for deputies of the Chamber of Representatives or deputies of local Councils of Deputies or their proxies.
The Republican radio every morning, and the Republican television every evening shall be obliged to give information on the progress of the election campaign and the preparation for the republican referendum.
Reports on the sittings of the Central Commission and its decisions shall be systematically published in the Republican press whereas reports and decisions of the electoral commissions and the commissions on the referendum - in local press.
It shall not be allowed to publish, within the last 10 days before the elections or referendum, opinion poll results connected with the elections, referendum or prognosis of their results.
