Karzai accused of media stranglehold By Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi
KABUL - Spend an evening watching state-run Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA)
and you may be forgiven for thinking that Afghanistan has just one prominent
public figure: President Hamid Karzai.
Every meeting, trip, signature or speech seems to have acquired particularly
newsworthy status and the president's face is seldom absent from the television
screen.
In normal times, this might just be considered bad television, but during a
presidential election campaign, it borders on a gross violation of the election
law, according to the Media Commission, which operates a media monitoring unit
under the Independent Election Commission, or IEC.
"We have set up principles of covering the news related to the
president, who is also a candidate," said Sidiqullah Tawhidi, head of the
commission, at a news conference in mid-July. "Except for covering his daily
routine, everything else counts as campaign coverage."
Covering Karzai's daily routine takes up a lot of air time and column inches.
According to Tawhidi, during the first two weeks of monitoring, Karzai was on
the TV news 55 times; his closest rival, Abdullah Abdullah, was a distant
second with 13 appearances. Ashraf Ghani, the only other challenger given a
chance in the poll, enjoyed a mere six airings.
In print media, the story was similar. Monitors found that state newspapers
devoted twice as much space to Karzai during the monitoring period as to
Abdullah and about ten times as much as Ashraf Ghani got.
This goes far beyond the normal advantages of incumbency, Tawhidi said.
"The president is dominant in the state media," said Tawhidi. "The Ministry of
Information and Culture should pay attention to this, and act impartially."
The ministry oversees state media outlets and is responsible for their
coverage. It has denied violating balance and impartiality in coverage of
election candidates.
The president's prominence on the airwaves is simply a function of his status
as incumbent, said Zia Boomia, head of the state-run Bakhtar News Agency,
speaking for the ministry.
"We cover the president's state business," he said. "For example, the president
has a cabinet meeting once a week. The other candidates do not have such an
event. If we cover it, this does not mean it is related to the elections."
Boomia insisted that all news related to Karzai's re-election campaign was
relegated to election coverage, alongside the campaigns of other candidates.
But even here it would be impossible to guarantee complete balance, he said.
"Some candidates have made ten campaign speeches, while others have not left
their houses. Are we supposed to ignore those candidates who are active because
of those who have done nothing?" he said.
Afghanistan's increasingly chaotic campaign features 41 candidates with widely
differing backgrounds, skills, and finances. Some, like Karzai and Abdullah,
can afford to blanket the capital with posters and billboards, as well as
taking out expensive television advertisements. A one-minute spot during prime
time on the most popular station - the commercial channel Tolo - costs US$600.
Karzai and Abdullah are sinking thousands into their television campaigns,
while the more modest candidates have to content themselves with posters and
the occasional election tour.
"Karzai and Abdullah were very active," said Boomia. "Their events were
newsworthy, and we covered them. We try to be balanced. We even count how many
seconds a clip lasts."
Boomia insisted that state media had implemented the guidelines laid down by
the IEC's media unit.
"We followed them to the letter," he said.
But the media monitors at the IEC did not sound convinced.
"The state media is supporting Karzai," said Tawhidi. "This is evident even in
the language that they use. They will say, for example, that there was 'a
gathering in support of Ashraf Ghani' while they will always say 'a large
gathering of people in support of Karzai'. This has an impact on the campaign."
This was a subversion of the mission of state media, said Tawhidi.
"The state media belong to the Afghan nation, so they must keep the balance
between the candidates."
Nonetheless, the media commission insists that state media are siding with
Karzai, not only in terms of coverage but also language.
"For instance, RTA says 'a gathering of people in support of Ashraf Ghani .'
and then says 'a large gathering of people in support of Karzai and these
gatherings should continue, etc.' Such words have a special impact in the
campaign," said Tawhidi.
Some of the candidates also are not happy with the government media.
Ramazan Basher Dost, who is standing against Karzai, said, "For the past seven
years they have been conducting propaganda for Karzai, and it's still going on.
As far as I know, RTA has done a 20-minute interview with all the candidates,
including me, but I am not sure that all of my campaign speeches and stops are
covered."
He added, "I am not worried about RTA now, because everybody knows that it's
taking sides, and do not listen to it. What is important for me is going to the
provinces and villages and maintaining direct contact with my people."
Basher Dost accused the media commission of calling news conferences rather
than taking action, "The solution to this issue is not press conferences. If
there is a violation, they should hand it over to the complaints commission of
the IEC."
Some time ago, Abdullah's campaign's office also complained of media bias,
citing full coverage of Karzai's news conferences by RTA but brief reporting of
his.
Other candidates also have accused Karzai of misuse of government resources for
his own ends but Karzai's campaign office denied these claims and insisted
that, if a candidate has proof of such abuse, he or she should give it to the
IEC.
A number of people also believe that Karzai not only uses state and private
media but also other government resources.
Abdul Saboor, a resident of Kabul, said, "From the start of the campaign, RTA
has been talking about Karzai. We are bored with his name already. Karzai does
not need a campaign. It has been the eighth year that he is riding on the
people's shoulders with his weak policies. People know Karzai and his gang very
well. But why is he printing posters again? And he wants to come out on TV? Let
the other candidates to be known by people."
Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi is an IWPR staff reporter based in Kabul.
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