Skopje, 15 July 2020 – As part of its election monitoring, the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services concluded that yesterday, on 14 July 2020, the First Programme Service of the Macedonian Radio aired reports on the activities of the Ministry of Interior regarding prevention of potential election-related crime in several of its daily news editions, in which it broadcasted a statement by a public office holder made at a press conference, thus violating the election silence. Due to this, the Agency will initiate a misdemeanor procedure.
The Agency wishes to remind again that, according to the Electoral Code, during the election silence, i.e. until the closing of the polls, the media outlets must not publish any information, photographs, audio or audiovisual materials related to or involving participants in the elections; any forms of media coverage that open or covertly serves someone’s campaign and may influence the decision of the voters; any data that reveals the identity of political entities and/or individuals involved in incidents or irregularities on the Election Day, or any statements by candidates in the election process, representatives of political parties or holders of public offices.