WINDHOEK — The Director General of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) Albertus Aochamub says the national broadcaster will allocate equally free broadcasting slots to all political parties contesting the national elections slated for November 28.
He said they do not know how many political parties would be taking part in the elections, but those that are registered would have equal accessibility to fair and free airtime. “When [time for] campaigns are declared and Parliament is dissolved, all parties will be equal before the law,” he said.
Aochamub denied claims that the NBC’s new election policy was drafted in the wake of complaints by opposition parties that the NBC was allocating more airtime to the ruling party, saying that NBC is following provisions in the Namibian Constitution and the Electoral Act.
NBC’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Umbi Karuaihe-Upi said 17 political parties met on Tuesday with Aochamub regarding formation of an Election Forum to consist of NBC staff and one representative and an alternate from each political party.
“The reaction was very positive,” she said, adding that the Minister of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) Joël Kaapanda would next week launch the NBC’s election policy.
Among issues discussed at the Tuesday meeting were the allocation of free airtime, language to be used in free airtime messages for which it was decided that political parties may present their television messages in any language of their choice as long as a translated English script accompanies that, while radio messages may only be presented in English unless it is for the relevant radio stations.
No free airtime recordings may be done at NBC regional offices except in Windhoek and the respective radio services, it was decided.
The number of rallies for each participating party or individual would be agreed upon with the Election Task Force after closure of registration of political parties and nomination of candidates.
The meeting further decided that news coverage of political campaigns would depend on the newsworthiness of the event, while coverage of the incumbent president would be exempted from provision of the policy as he remains the Head of State until his term expires.
Political party campaign songs would be paid for and parties must produce own paid political messages for radio, television and other media platforms.
The election forum’s objective is to create a platform for engagement between the NBC and the parties contesting elections and also to discuss election coverage guidelines, especially those on the coverage and broadcast of political parties’ rallies and campaign messages.