The Central Election Commission adopted a decision on the terms and conditions for conducting the pre-election campaign for the elections for the European Parliament and for people's representatives on June 9. The election campaign opens at 00:00 on May 10, 30 days before election day, and ends at 24:00 on June 7, the decision states, NOVA reported.
The campaign is conducted in Bulgarian, and the candidates for people's representatives and the parties, coalitions and initiative committees that have registered candidates have the right to equal access to the sources of information they need for the purposes of the election campaign.
The media service providers are obliged to announce on their websites information about the contracts, including the free contracts concluded with the parties, coalitions and initiative committees that registered candidates, and/or with another contractor, in connection with the pre-election campaign campaign, including if the contract is concluded with an intermediary.
Social networks, like personal blogs, are not a media service, the decision states.
When broadcasting, publishing and distributing paid forms of coverage of the election campaign, media service providers shall distinguish them by a visual, sound or audio-visual sign that contains a caption or sound message that the material has been paid for.
The use of state and municipal transport for pre-election campaigning is prohibited, as well as the conduct of pre-election campaigning in state and municipal offices, institutions, state and municipal enterprises and in commercial companies with more than 50 percent state or municipal participation in the capital.
No pre-election campaigning is allowed 24 hours before the election day and on the election day itself.
Within seven days after the election day, the parties, coalitions and initiative committees must remove the campaign materials they have placed on the occasion of the already concluded elections.
The decision includes special rules for coverage of the election campaign by the public and commercial electronic media. The Bulgarian National Television and the Bulgarian National Radio reflect objectively and fairly the manifestations of the candidates registered by the parties, coalitions and initiative committees, while respecting their equality and significance based on rules determined by the CEC.
The election campaign is reflected in the programs of the Bulgarian National Television and the Bulgarian National Radio in the form of clips, debates and other forms in a time set for this purpose. Parties and coalitions that have registered candidates in all constituencies have the right to equal participation. It is not allowed to use the programs of the Bulgarian National Television and the Bulgarian National Radio for the purposes of the election campaign outside the time specified for this purpose, it is written in the decision.
Commercial electronic media may provide time for paid coverage of the election campaign to parties, coalitions and initiative committees that have registered candidates, under the same conditions and prices. Prices cannot exceed the average market prices for advertising in the last 6 months before the start of the election campaign.
The conditions, as well as the tariffs, are announced on the website of the relevant media no later than April 29, and payment is made in advance.
The terms, order and tariffs of the commercial electronic media are sent to the Audit Office no later than May 9.
The terms, order and tariffs of commercial electronic media with a national scope shall be submitted to the Central Election Commission no later than May 9.
The terms, order and tariffs of commercial electronic media with regional and local scope shall be provided to the regional election commissions no later than May 9.
It is forbidden to make political suggestions in favor of or to the detriment of one or another party, coalition, initiative committee or candidate in a commercial advertisement.
If media service providers, parties, coalitions and initiative committees violate the order for conducting the election campaign - through the persons who represent them or through persons authorized by them, they may file a complaint within 24 hours after the broadcast of the relevant show.
In a separate decision, the CEC issued Rules for coverage by the Bulgarian National Television and the Bulgarian National Radio of the events of the candidates for members of the European Parliament from the Republic of Bulgaria and the candidates for people's representatives in the elections of June 9, 2024, registered by the parties, coalitions and initiative committees during the election campaign.
From April 25, the CEC started accepting documents for registration of candidate lists for members of the European Parliament (EP) from the Republic of Bulgaria. The deadline for accepting documents is May 7. From the same date, documents for the registration of initiative committees for the promotion of independent candidates for members of the EP are also accepted. The deadline for accepting documents is April 29.
A total of 23 parties and 11 coalitions have submitted an application for registration to participate in the elections for members of the European Parliament (EP) and/or for people's representatives.