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Small parties unhappy with airtime

Small political parties yesterday criticized the Central Election Commission (CEC) for allocating them less time than their larger rivals to air legislative election campaign ads on the nation's five non-cable TV channels.

The CEC has decided that the length of time that each political party participating in the legislative elections will be allocated to air campaign ads will be calculated in proportion to each party's number of nominees.

The parties with the most candidates, the Democratic Progressive Party and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), will each get 15 minutes and 49 seconds of air time per day from Jan. 7 to Jan. 11.

The other 10 parties will only be allowed between one to six minutes of air time.

The Non-Partisan Solidarity Union, with two nominees, will be allowed only 56 seconds of airtime.

Home Party Secretary-General Yao Li-ming (姚立明), Hakka Party Chairman Wen Chin-chuan (溫錦泉) and Green Party Taiwan Secretary-General Pan Han-shen (潘翰聲) were among those who criticized the CEC.

In response, CEC Secretary-General Teng Tien-yu (鄧天祐) said that the formula had been in place for several years and was the fairest way of allocating airtime for party campaign ads.

Political parties' election campaign advertisements will be broadcast on the Formosa TV, Taiwan Television Enterprise, China Television Co, Chinese Television System and Public Television Service channels.
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