Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 26 / Trend T.Hajiyev /
The Azerbaijani Central Election Commission (CEC) voiced its stance on increasing the amount of free TV airtime for candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections today.
"No country in the world discusses this issue because nowhere else are candidates provided with free airtime," CEC Secretary Natig Mammadov said. "One must create a fund and use this fund to achieve objectives and to receive certain powers."
Opposition parties expressed discontent with the level of free airtime at a round-table discussion organized by the OSCE Baku Office this week on the media's role in the elections.
According to Mammadov, airtime is given to electoral candidates for free only in Azerbaijan.
"Perhaps, someone does not want to use other means of propaganda to implement his electoral program and is just waiting for free airtime," he said.
Parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan are scheduled for Nov. 7. The elections are held by the majority system in 125 constituencies.
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