Azerbaijan, Baku, 13 September / Trend corr. J.Babayeva/ Azerbaijan's presidential contenders are expected to take six hours of free air time within a week within the agitation campaign, Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov said to journalists on 13 September.
Presidential elections will take place in Azerbaijan on 15 October. Seven contenders will participate - the chairman of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party Ilham Aliyev, chairman of the Umid Party Igbal Agazade, chairman of the Great Establishment Party Fazil Gazanfaroglu, chairman of the Muasir Musavat party Hafiz Hajiyev, the chairman of the Unified Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan Gudrat Hasanguliyev, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Azerbaijan Fuad Aliyev and independent candidate Gulamhuseyn Alibayli.
The agitation campaign of the presidential contenders will commence on 17 September to last 28 days. According to the Election Code, free air time shall be provided to the candidates at the Public Television of Azerbaijan. Earlier it was planned to allot three hours of free air time.
According to Panahov, a commission was established at CEC to divide the free air time amongst the candidates.
"Three hours will be provided at the Public Television and three hours at the Public Radio. CEC will hold a meeting on 17 September to take a final decision on the issue," he said.
Panahov said the State-founded Azerbaijan, Xalq Qazeti, Respublika and Bakinski Rabochi newspapers will also provide free agitation to presidential contenders.
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