The Ivorian High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA) has just announced several decisions allowing public service audiovisual media and private sector media to cover the election of the President of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, which will be held on October 31, 2020.
1/ WITH REGARD TO PUBLIC SERVICE AUDIOVISUAL MEDIA Once the Constitutional Council has published the final list of candidates,
public service audiovisual media must ensure fair access to their airwaves for candidates, parties, political groups, and organizations that support them, as well as respect for the principles of pluralism of opinion and balanced information.
From the official start of the election campaign on October 15
,
2020
,
at midnight
, public service audiovisual media must ensure, in the programming of news, reports, debates, and special programs dedicated to the campaign, strict compliance with the principle of equal access and treatment on their channels for candidates, parties, political groups, and organizations that support them.
2/ WITH REGARD TO PRIVATE COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS During the election campaign period
, private commercial radio and television stations wishing to cover the campaign must ensure equal access and treatment on their channels for candidates, parties, political groups, and organizations that support them, as well as pluralism and balance in their reporting.
3/ WITH REGARD TO NON-COMMERCIAL PRIVATE RADIO BROADCASTERS KNOWN AS LOCAL RADIO STATIONS In the context of the election campaign
, the HACA authorizes private non-commercial radio stations, known as community radio stations, to broadcast messages relating to citizenship, social cohesion, and voter awareness, and to relay, including simultaneously, special programs or news programs broadcast on public service media.
However, these radio stations are still prohibited from producing, programming, and broadcasting political programs. They may therefore not cover or report on activities related to the election campaign.
4/ WITH REGARD TO ONLINE AUDIOVISUAL MEDIA SERVICES During the election campaign period
, online audiovisual media services must ensure pluralism, honesty, and balance in their reporting.
They may only publish information whose origin, veracity, and accuracy have been established.
Online audiovisual media services must refrain from broadcasting messages inciting hatred, ethnic, social, and religious discrimination, xenophobia, and violence.
5/ REGARDING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS
The HACA wishes to specify that the audiovisual media as a whole may only broadcast the results announced by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) and the Constitutional Council.