Article |
19
1. It shall be prohibited to disseminate political advertising: 1) during the political campaign period - for free, except discussion programmes; 2) during an election (referendum) campaigning stage - on television, except discussion programmes and election campaigning video clips of not less than 90 seconds duration in which the political campaign participant informs about his political programme or speaks on issues topical to the public; 3) on the front page of a periodical; 4) if the dissemination of such advertising is in violation of the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Lithuania. 2. Expenditure of a political campaign participant for the election campaigning video clips referred to in subparagraph 2 of paragraph 1 of this Article may not exceed 50 per cent of the maximum allowed amount of political campaign expenditure set for the political campaign participant. 3. During the political campaign period, public information producers or disseminators may disseminate political advertising only at the rates and under the conditions equal to all political campaign participants. Public information producers or disseminators shall, by 1 January of each year, submit to the Central Electoral Commission political advertising rates and conditions applicable during a political campaign period; the said rates and conditions may be altered not later than until the beginning of a political campaign period with the consent of the Central Electoral Commission. The Central Electoral Commission shall immediately post the rates on the website of the Central Electoral Commission. 4. Public information producers and disseminators may refuse to disseminate political advertising which contains the material compromising other political parties or political campaign participants, if it is refused to bear potential expenses related to dissemination of a counter opinion. 5. The following shall not be regarded as political advertising: 1) information notices of usual character disseminated during the period other than a political campaign period about activities of state politicians, political parties, their management bodies, with the exception of the cases where such notices agitate to vote in the interest of the state politician, political party or its candidate during a future political campaign, or remuneration is provided for such notices, or remuneration is envisaged; 2) information notices of usual character disseminated free of charge during the political campaign period about activities of state politicians, political parties, candidates, as well as information which does not incite non-participation in a referendum, voting for or against the adoption of a decision submitted for the referendum. 6. During the political campaign period public information producers or disseminators must submit by means of electronic communications to the Central Electoral Commission a declaration of the public information producer or disseminator twice (thrice): 10 days remaining before an election or referendum day (5 days remaining in the event of run-off voting) and not later than within 25 days after the proclamation of the final results of the election (rerun election) or the referendum. 7. Political campaign participants shall, together with a political campaign funding statement, submit to the Central Electoral Commission a report on political advertisements disseminated during an election (referendum) campaigning stage as well as the sources of its funding. 8. After the Central Electoral Commission announces candidates (lists of candidates), the following shall be financed with state budget funds from the appropriations allocated to the Central Electoral Commission: 1) discussions of candidates over the radio and on television with the aim to present election programmes, in compliance with the principle of equality according to the procedure of the Central Electoral Commission; 2) information disseminated in accordance with the procedure laid down by the Central Electoral Commission, encouraging participation in the election.
|