ELECTION billboards, political meetings and promises of better management of regional governments will mark the next 17 days in Slovakia.
The campaign before the elections of presidents of self-governing regions and regional councils has officially started today, October 23, and will continue until 48 hours before the start of the elections scheduled for November 9.
An election and pre-election moratorium of 48 hours applies in regional elections, during which any campaigning is prohibited.
The Council for Broadcasting and Retransmission, the control body overseeing fairness in the media, launched a special monitoring focusing on how electronic media adheres to the rules of broadcasting during the campaign, the SITA newswire reported. The Council will monitor 28 news and feature programmes of eight broadcasters: the two channels of the public-service television, as well as private channels Markiza, JOJ, TA3; and public-service radio services Radio Slovensko, Radio Regina Bratislava and Radio Patria.
All these monitored media outlets are, based on the law, not allowed to broadcast political advertising, unlike the media that broadcast exclusively via the internet, the council’s spokesperson Lucia Jelčová told SITA.
The elections will take place on November 9, with the polling rooms to be open between 7:00 and 22:00. Foreigners with permanent residence in Slovakia are eligible to vote in the elections in their respective regions too.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Michaela Terenzani from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information
presented in its Flash News postings.
