Standards set for Egypt's campaign broadcasts
Egypt, Politics, 8/20/2005

The Egyptian media is committed to the total separation between coverage of President Hosni Mubarak's official activities and his election campaign as nominee of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), said Minister of Information Anas Al-Fekki during an international press conference to announce regulations on media coverage of electoral campaigns.

This separation will apply to ministers and senior government officials involved in election campaigns for other candidates.

Egypt's media will be committed to transparency and objectivity in their reporting on election campaigns, Al-Fekki said, pointing out the Egyptian radio will allocate 54 hours of transmission on all its stations throughout the campaign. Television will also allocate 135 hours during the campaign period," he added.

The Ministry of Information has set up a commission to agree on standards of media coverage of the Sept.7 polls in line with the presidential election law. The committee has laid down rules and policies to regulate the use of advertising in the presidential campaign, "he said.

Al-Fekki added that standards set by the commission included defining the presidential candidates and their manifestoes in a fair and neutral way.

The standards will not allow any pressure groups or lobbyists to influence the media coverage, he said, adding that material that defames any candidate or breach his privacy will be prohibited.

Previous Stories:
  Welch: Egyptians can have free, transparent presidential election   (8/19/2005)
  Ayman Nour criticizes Mubarak's regime, wants seperation of powers   (8/19/2005)
  Mubarak vows end to emergency law   (8/18/2005)

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