Election Supervision Committee”s First Report Shows 293 Violations
Election violations committed between April 14 and 28 totaled 293, a report by the Election Supervisory said on Thursday.
The report included qualitative and quantitative analysis.
From a quantitative point of view the report showed that opposition parliamentary candidates received 50% of TV live coverage compared to 24% to pro-government candidates and only 7% given to independent candidates.
For radio live coverage pro-government candidates received 43% coverage, independents 27%, opposition 20% and miscellaneous candidates 8%.
Newspapers provided the highest coverage to miscellaneous candidates at 41%, pro-government candidates received 33% coverage, and independents 13% and opposition last at 12%.
Qualitative analysis for the same period showed many violations most of which were libel, slander, evoking sectarian sedition and accusations of treason.
The report showed that 52% of the above violations were committed by the printed press, 36% on television and 12% by radio stations.
The report showed that the majority of violations were committed by politicians, 51% of which were evocations of libel and slander, 18% of violations were accusations of treason, 10% fostered fear in others other various violations at 10%, 5% evoked sectarian sedition and violations of provocation at 5%.
Interior Minister Ziad Baroud commented on the report saying: "The committees second report would be different because we won”t remain silent to media violations of the electoral law."