Azernews.Az

BAKU – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has called on the Azerbaijani government to ensure pluralism in the media.

Jacqueline Carpenter, Democratization Program Manager at the OSCE Office in Baku, who worked on Barack Obama’s presidential election campaign two years ago, said that OSCE ODIHR’s Election Observation Mission had developed recommendations on promoting media coverage of Azerbaijan’s elections. The mission concluded during the 2008 presidential election in the country that television channels provide limited coverage of news about the electoral process.

She claimed that the state-funded AzTV channel devoted 94 percent of the allocated air time that year on the campaign of the government’s candidate. During the 2009 municipal elections, no hopefuls were granted free air time to campaign on television altogether.

Carpenter said a number of OSCE ODIHR proposals aim to change the situation. The OSCE suggests that all election hopefuls be provided with equal access to the media.

It also says the National Television and Radio Council (NTRC), the country’s broadcasting regulator, should conduct regular media monitoring of elections.

Another proposal is to reduce what is called the dependence of state budget-funded TV channels on the government. The OSCE also says TV channels should designate more air time for election campaigns and indiscriminately arrange the participation of all political parties in such functions as talk-shows and interviews.

The parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, scheduled for November 7, are held by the majority of votes system in 125 constituencies. Previous elections were held in November 2005.