The CEC and Official Media Sign a Memorandum of Understanding

Today the CEC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Palestinian official media, which aims to enhance the educational role of the official media and raise awareness amongst citizens throughout all stages of the electoral process. The two parties also agreed on the terms and details regarding unpaid advertising for all campaigns of the nominated electoral lists via official media outlets. 
The MoU was signed by CEC Chairman, Hanna Nasir, and the General Supervisor of the official media, Minister Ahmad Assaf, representing The Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), Al-Hayat al-Jadidah newspaper, and the Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA.
CEC Chairman emphasized the significance of the role that media plays, especially Palestinian official media institutions, in raising awareness and conveying information relevant to the electoral process to all citizens, referring to the provisions of the election law that grants all nominated electoral lists equal opportunities to publish their electoral programs and campaigns within official media.
Minister Assaf affirmed the commitment of official media to impartiality in all stages of the electoral process in compliance with the provisions of the law, including not to advertise paid or unpaid campaigns of any of the electoral lists, except what had been agreed upon with the CEC.
Both parties agreed that official media outlets shall advertise educational TV and radio spots produced by the CEC to raise citizens’ awareness of the electoral process, and collaborate to produce awareness-raising TV and radio programs. 
It was agreed that official media institutions shall cover, broadcast, and document all of the CEC’s activities and events during the electoral process, including TV and radio news in both WAFA and Al-Hayat newspaper, while asserting that the CEC is the main source of information and news related to the election processes, procedures, and results. 
Regarding the election campaigns of the electoral lists, both parties agreed that the CEC, jointly with the official media, shall prepare a program with dates and times allocated for unpaid and impartial coverage of all election candidates and lists in a way that guarantees equal and appropriate opportunities to all candidates and lists participating in the elections. 
The MoU indicated the right of every list to broadcast an unpaid TV or radio advertisement through the official media outlet, “The Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation”, in accordance with the terms and specifications set by the CEC in collaboration with the official media, in a way that guarantees equal broadcasting duration and time slots to all lists.