Balanced coverage of Egyptian presidential race

Minister of Information Anas El Fiki announced on Monday the rules guiding the September 7 presidential election campaign.

"There will be full separation between the media coverage of the President and in his capacity as the candidate of the national Democratic Party (NDP)," Fiki told a press conference.

He said the Egyptian Television and Radio will not take sides and will provide a transparent coverage of the election.

Ten candidates, including President Hosni Mubarak, will be running in the presidential race, the first multi-candidate in Egyptian history.

He said a committee comprising media experts and journalists has set up the rules guiding the media coverage of the election campaign.

Fiki said he will head an adhoc committee to monitor the media coverage. "Every complaint will be scrutinized," he vowed.

"Each candidate will be able to explain his platform on an equal footing," he said. "Private lives of the candidates should be respected."