Central Election Commission to Analyse TV Election Campaign Materials

The Central Election Commission will ask the federal television channels to submit election campaign materials which were broadcast in the past month, with the aim of analysing them and finding out whether they contain illegal propaganda. The head of the Russian Central Election Commission, Alexander Veshnyakov, said this to reporters in the wake of the Commission's session.

He also commented on the decision which was taken by the Commission on the day before and which explained some questions concerning the coverage of the parliamentary elections.

These rules, "on the one hand, must ensure the freedom of the mass media and, on the other, prevent certain forces having tremendous resources from creating the situation of inequality," said Alexander Veshnyakov.

"The information analytical programmes must not turn into propaganda materials of the kind of 'TV killing' broadcasts of 1999," underscored the Commission's head.

"The uniform interpretation of the law will make it possible considerably to improve the situation and to remove certain administrative extremes, also among the journalists," Alexander Veshnyakov believes.

"Information materials in the mass media in the period of the election campaign must be objective and authentic, they must not violate the equality of the candidates, parties and blocs," points out the resolution of the Central Election Commission, adopted Friday.

"The mass media are free in their activity to inform the constituents," points out the document. At the same time, "the mass media must observe the rules in accordance with which TV and radio broadcasts and periodicals must give information about election events in one information column without comments." "The editorial offices of the mass media must publish separately objective information about events and journalists' comments on an appropriate problem," points out the document.