Algeria's Independent National Election Authority has reminded candidates, political parties, and free lists of the legal and regulatory controls to be respected during the campaign for the election of members of the People's Municipal and Wilaya Councils, scheduled for November 28. The campaign period is set from November 5 to 24. The authority warned against any form of electoral propaganda outside the legal deadlines, regardless of the means used.
The Independent Authority emphasized the need to strictly adhere to the provisions of the organic law related to the electoral system, particularly articles 73 to 86. The organization of the electoral campaign is subject to legal and ethical controls that all candidates and actors in the electoral process must adhere to. The authority stressed the importance of refraining from hate speech or any form of discrimination.
The authority prohibited the use of foreign languages during the electoral campaign, as well as the misuse of state symbols. It also banned any violent or illegal behavior, or behavior that is degrading or contrary to morals. Additionally, the authority warned against the use of properties and means belonging to public or private legal persons for electoral propaganda purposes, except in cases explicitly allowed by legislative provisions.
The authority also prohibited the exploitation of places of worship, institutions, public administrations, education and training institutions for electoral propaganda activities. Regarding media and electoral advertising, the authority required licensed audio-visual media to ensure a fair distribution of time allocated to candidates, in coordination with the audiovisual regulatory authority.
The authority called for respect for the legal provisions related to the organization of public gatherings and meetings, and prohibited the use of commercial advertising methods for electoral propaganda purposes throughout the campaign period. It also required adherence to the legal deadlines for publishing and broadcasting opinion polls and voter intention surveys, 72 hours before the voting date.
The Independent Authority's president, Said Arouss, called on candidates to "necessarily adhere to the ethics of electoral practice, respect the law, preserve the dignity of persons, and refrain from offensive and misleading discourse and avoid anything that may undermine the integrity of the competition or compromise its integrity." He emphasized that providing conditions for the success of the upcoming local elections relies on the combined efforts of all actors.
A total of 800 units, each lasting three minutes, have been allocated for the electoral campaign across various television and radio channels. The total airtime allocated for the electoral campaign on these channels is estimated at 1267 hours and 48 minutes. The channels include six television channels and three national radio channels, as well as 48 local radio stations.
Key points
- The Algerian Independent National Election Authority has set rules for local election campaigns.
- The campaign period is from November 5 to 24.
- The authority prohibited hate speech, misuse of state symbols, and exploitation of public properties for electoral propaganda.
