Political advertising banned from September 12

The decision to ban all forms of political advertising by the Independent Higher Authority for Elections (IHAE) will come into force on Monday, September 12, 2011.The aim of this decision is to ensure safety of the electoral process and equal opportunities for all candidates, limit the intervention of "political money" and defend the independence and neutrality of the media.According to the IHAE, political advertising is "the use by a party or a candidate list of public or private media or other charged or free advertising media to present the electoral programmes of candidates to the public."Is also considered as disguised political advertising "the introduction of a candidate or an election list to the public twice in a single day as part of programmes dedicated to the follow-up of activities of parties and candidates in addition to the promotion of their electoral programmes."The decision of the IHAE came after the expansion of the phenomenon of political advertising in several national media and through many advertising media for the benefit of many political parties which have enormous financial resources.This phenomenon has disrupted the political landscape in Tunisia and created a great controversy between different actors of political life and the media.Although there is no law banning political advertising, the decision taken in this regard by the IHAE is justified by the fact that the powers assigned to this authority by the interim Government and the High Authority for Achievement of the Revolution Objectives, Political Reform and Democratic Transition include the supervision of the different stages of the electoral process.It also refers to the approach adopted in this area by legal mechanisms of countries that experienced such a situation, all of which banned this kind of advertising through the media throughout the period before the election campaign and during the election as well as during the election silence and on the days of election.Members of the High Authority for Achievement of the Revolution Objectives, Political Reform and Democratic Transition are examining a draft decree-law on the organisation of the audio-visual communication sector.This draft decree-law bans, in one of its articles, political advertising both during and outside the election campaign.Any violation of this article is punished by a fine equivalent to the price of the advertising spot broadcast. The amount, however, must not be less than 10 thousand dinars. The fine is doubled if the offence is repeated.