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The rules of the air time allotted for the campaign groups in connection with March 18 referendum have been determined, APA reports. chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov said three-hour free air time would be allocated for the groups.
1.5 hour is intended for Public Television and 1.5 hour for Public Radio. Mazahir Panahov said Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Company had allotted the air time on television on Saturdays from 18.15 till 20.00 and on radio on Wednesday s from 20.15 till 22.00. Mazahir Panahov noted that free discussions would be held 4 times on television and 4 times on radio. He said the air time would be used in the form of roundtables.
CEC member Almas Gahramanli said 18.15 was not favorable for television.
“We offer to appeal to the television leadership to change the time,” he said.
CEC member Akif Gurbanov said it was bad that 3-hour air time was allotted for the referendum, while 6 hours were allotted for the presidential elections.
“Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Company is not a private organization, the legislation sets tasks on them in connection with the elections and referendums. But the television leadership does not change or increase the time,” he said.
CEC chairman Mazahir Panahov said before the commission’s meeting nine campaign group met with the television’s managers and made the announced decision.
CEC member Ogtay Humbatli said the allocated airtime was not enough. He suggested to give 75 percent of campaign airtime to the television and 25 percent – to the radio. “Indeed the allocated airtime on TV is not suitable. ITV shows TV series at 21.00. It will be better if the audience will watch the important campaign program instead of the series”.
Despite the proposals, Panahov said most of the campaign groups agreed with the suggested version and the decision was accepted.
Sequence of the campaign groups’ speeches during the round tables was drawn. According to the draw results, representative of the “Intellect” campaign group will sit the right of the presenter and will address first. The campaign group “City” will take left seat of the presenter and is the second speaker, “Civil Society” group – the right seat and third speaker, “For Sustainable Development” – left and fourth, “For Karabakh and the Republic” – right and fifth, “Republicans” – left and sixth, “Law and Democracy – right and seventh, “Progress” – left and eighth, “New Azerbaijan” representative will take a seat on the opposite side of the presenter and address ninth.
Authoritative representative of the “Republicans” campaign group Gulaga Aslanli protested the CEC decision.
Authoritative representative of the “New Azerbaijan” campaign group Siyavush Novruzov said seven of nine campaign groups agreed with the proposed variant and they had not to take opinion of two others into account.
The first round table will be organized on February 21 on Public Television.
