Draft strategy for covering election campaign favors PCRM and its acolytes, PLDM

The draft strategy for covering the election campaign by broadcasting institutions formulated by the Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) has legal shortcomings and favors the Communist Party and its acolytes during the campaign for parliamentary elections, the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) said, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. “Examining the draft strategy, the PLDM ascertained that it enables the ruling party to use the media outlets controlled by it in the favor of the PCRM and its acolytes and to the detriment of the Opposition parties participating in the election campaign,” the PLDM president Vlad Filat told a news conference on January 12. “In the form in which it was presented by the BCC, the strategy offers the PCRM the possibility of influencing the covering of the election campaign and of harming thus the people’s right to free choice,” Filat said. According to the PLDM leader, one of the hidden aims of the strategy is to hinder the independent radio and television channels from covering the election campaign and to deprive the Opposition parties of the possibility of promoting their messages and political platforms through mass media. PLDM considers that the draft strategy favors the candidates that hold important positions in the administration of the country and in the district administrations, allowing the broadcasters to cover their working visits and participation in different public events. “The draft strategy does not stipulate a common price for electoral advertising for all the election contenders. This shortcoming leaves room for favoritism and abuse on the part of the media outlets controlled by the power. The strategy allows the BCC to get involved in the editorial policy of the radio and television stations and exert pressure on the broadcasters,” the PLDM says. The settlement of the disputes that appear between the broadcasters and election contenders is the prerogative of the BCC and the Central Election Commission. According to the PLDM, this allows postponing the examination of disputes and passing of biased judgments and offers more possibilities for artificially creating disputes. The PLDM calls on the Broadcasting Coordination Council to review the draft strategy. The party will submit a set of amendments designed to eliminate the existent shortcomings to the Council. The draft strategy for covering the election campaign by broadcasting institutions was made public on December 10, being published on the BCC’s website.