The electoral campaign of the Algerian presidential elections, scheduled for September 7th, begins officially today. The three candidates will start their race to convince more than 24 million voters, by presenting their programs to attract the largest number of them.
According to the Algerian Organic Law of Elections, the electoral campaign starts today, August 15th, and ends three days before the election date. Article 73 states that “the electoral campaign is open 23 days before the election date and ends three days before the election day,” with the last three days being known as the “electoral silence.”
Article 74 of the same law stipulates that “No one, regardless of the means and in any form, can conduct the campaign outside the period stipulated in Article 73.”
As candidates approach voters to present their programs through organizing regional meetings and electoral gatherings, Article 75 states that “every candidate or person participating in the electoral campaign must refrain from hate speech and any form of discrimination.”
Additionally, the use of foreign languages in the electoral campaign is prohibited, according to Article 76 of the Algerian Organic Law of Elections.
The first paragraph of Article 77 states that “every candidate for local, legislative, or presidential elections benefits of fair access to authorized audiovisual media, in accordance with the legislation and regulation in force.”
The second paragraph of the same article emphasizes that “all authorized audiovisual media, in accordance with the legislation and regulation in force, are required to participate in covering the electoral campaign and ensure the fair distribution of airtime among candidates.”
Furthermore, Article 84 of the Algerian Organic Law of Elections states that “the use of places of worship, public institutions and administrations, and educational and training institutions, regardless of their type or affiliation, for electoral propaganda purposes of any kind, is prohibited.”
The Organic Law of Elections in Algeria requires candidates to refrain from any illegal, offensive, disgraceful, unlawful, or unethical movement, position, action or behavior, and to ensure the proper conduct of the electoral campaign, as outlined in Article 85.
Finally, Article 86, which concludes the first chapter related to the conduct of the electoral campaign within the defining Organic Law, stipulates the prohibition of the misuse of state symbols.
