§ Article 20(untitled)

Election campaign through the mass media

1. Political parties running in elections of the National Assembly and the Council of

 Elders of Yerevan shall have the right to use the airtime (including by live

 broadcasting) of public radio and public television on equal conditions, free of

 charge and for pay.

2. The procedure and schedule for providing political parties running in elections

 of the National Assembly and the Council of Elders of Yerevan free and paid

 airtime on public radio and public television shall be prescribed by the Central

 Electoral Commission on the next day following the expiry of the time limit

 prescribed for registration of the electoral lists of political parties running in

 elections.

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 During the second round of election of the National Assembly, election campaign

 shall start on the 8th day following the adoption of a decision on holding the

 second round of election.

3. During elections, public radio and public television shall be obliged to ensure

 non-discriminatory conditions for candidates, political parties running in

 elections.

 News programmes on public radio and public television shall provide impartial

 and non-judgemental information on election campaigns of candidates, political

 parties running in elections.

 Failure to organise events by a candidate, political parties running in elections or

 lack of information on those activities shall not serve as a ground for the mass

 media not to publish information on the campaign of the candidate, political

 parties running in elections.

 Upon revoking or declaring invalid the registration, contracts concluded with

 candidates, political parties running in elections by radio companies and

 television companies for providing airtime for election campaign purposes shall

 be considered revoked, and the provision of airtime for election campaign

 purposes shall be terminated.

4. No later than 10 days after calling elections of the National Assembly and the

 Council of Elders of Yerevan, the National Commission on Television and Radio

 shall publish the price per minute of the paid airtime of public radio and public

 television, which may not exceed the market value of the commercial

 advertisement for the last 6 months preceding the calling of elections and may

 not be changed until the end of the election campaign.

5. Provisions prescribed by part 3 of this Article shall also equally extend to other

 radio companies and television companies carrying out terrestrial on-air

 broadcasting, which provide airtime to candidates, political parties running in

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 elections for conducting election campaign, irrespective of the form of

 ownership.

 No later than 10 days after calling elections, radio companies and television

 companies carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting shall publish the price per

 minute of their paid airtime, which may not exceed the average cost of the

 commercial advertisement for the last 6 months preceding the calling of

 elections and may not be changed until the end of the election campaign.

6. It shall be prohibited to interrupt radio programmes and television programmes

 on election campaign by commercial advertisement.

7. Television companies and radio companies carrying out terrestrial on-air

 broadcasting shall be obliged to observe the requirements of this Article when

 carrying out satellite broadcasting.

8. When carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting, radio programmes and

 television programmes on election campaign shall be audio- and video-taped.

 They shall be kept until the day the body assumes its powers.

9. Supervision over the observance by television companies and radio companies

 carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting of the established procedure for

 election campaigns shall be exercised by the National Commission on Television

 and Radio.

10. During the election campaign for the elections of the National Assembly and the
 Council of Elders of Yerevan, the National Commission on Television and Radio
 shall conduct monitoring for assessment of provision by television companies and
 radio companies carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting of equal conditions
 for political parties running in elections. To this end, the National Commission on
 Television and Radio shall develop and, no later than 20 days after calling
 elections of the National Assembly and the Council of Elders of Yerevan, publish
 and submit to the Central Electoral Commission a methodology for assessment of

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 provision by television companies and radio companies carrying out terrestrial
 on-air broadcasting of equal conditions for political parties running in elections
 during the period of the election campaign.

11. During the elections of the National Assembly and the Council of Elders of
 Yerevan, the National Commission on Television and Radio shall — no later than
 on the 10th day and the 20th day of the time period established for the election
 campaign, as well as 2 days before the time limit established for summarising the
 election results — publish and submit to the Central Electoral Commission the
 results of the monitoring on fulfilling the requirements of this Article by
 television companies and radio companies carrying out terrestrial on-air
 broadcasting during the period of the election campaign, as well as the
 conclusion of the Commission on compliance by television companies and radio
 companies carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting with the established
 procedure for election campaigns.

 In case the second round of election of the National Assembly is held, the
 National Commission on Television and Radio shall publish the conclusion
 referred to in this part and submit it to the Central Electoral Commission 2 days
 before the time limit prescribed by this Code for summarisation of results of the
 second round of election.

12. Newspapers and magazines founded by state or local self-government bodies
 shall be obliged to ensure non-discriminatory and impartial conditions for
 candidates, political parties running in elections during the period of the election
 campaign.