The amendments planned by Georgian Dream MPs to the electoral legislation also concern the general rules for media coverage of the pre-election campaign and the information provision of the pre-election campaign

The amendments planned by Georgian Dream MPs to the electoral legislation also concern the general rules for media coverage of the pre-election campaign and the information provision of the pre-election campaign.

A norm is being removed from the “Electoral Code” and the provision of the law is being abolished according to which, if any electoral subject did not use its share of airtime or newspaper space, the broadcaster, radio and newspaper have the right to distribute this time or space equally among the remaining electoral subjects. As the initiator explains, the said norm does not correspond to the requirement of the law according to which a broadcaster is prohibited from allocating airtime for paid pre-election advertising for an electoral subject for a fee higher than that paid, or from allocating more free advertising time than determined by law, and this action is considered a prohibited contribution.

Under the same draft it is established that political/pre-election advertising must be produced in such a way that during its course the name, sequential number and symbolism of the electoral subject are clearly visible. According to the current version of the “Electoral Code,” during the course of political-pre-election advertising the sum of the continuous outlines of the letters denoting the name of the electoral subject and the continuous outlines of the digits denoting its sequential number must occupy no less than 10% of the frame area, and at the end of the advertisement, during the last 1 second – no less than 50% of the frame area.

In addition, under the amendments to the “Electoral Code” it is established that the obligation to allocate free advertising time during intermediate elections will apply only to local broadcasters.