Media Blitz: Much Ado About Nothing

Two days before the September 18 parliamentary elections, the airwaves no longer buzz with candidates’ messages. The loudspeakers mounted on vehicles are also supposed to fall silent, and the estimated 12.5 million voters have two days of reflection before heading to the polling booths.

The month-long campaign was a hectic one. In an unprecedented media frenzy, almost half the 6,000 candidates standing in the parliamentary and provincial council elections took advantage of a government offer of free airtime.

The broadcasts were paid for with funds from international donors. The Joint Electoral Management Body, JEMB, coordinated the effort, negotiating with radio and television stations for the allotted time. Candidates were free to choose their preferred medium, with the bill going to the election commission.

The total cost, say JEMB officials, will be approximately 600,000 US dollars.

Some question whether the money was well spent. Few of the candidates appear to have inspired the electorate - their droning delivery and simplistic messages drove many people to switch them off.

"During the day there is no electricity in Kabul, so when it is switched on at night, I put my television on to watch films," said resident Ajmal Wafa, 20. "If there is a candidate speaking on TV, I change channel. I have no interest in watching politicians lying to the people."

Mahmoud Shah, 45, also of Kabul, tried his best to follow the media campaign, but soon gave up.

"I watched many of them speaking on TV but I could never work out what they were saying,” he said. “They always spoke too fast, and then they’d be cut off in the middle of their speech."

Each parliamentary candidate was allowed to choose either a two-minute spot on television or a five-minute radio address, both aired twice. Provincial council candidates got two minutes on TV and four minutes on radio, with no repeats.

Two minutes would seem to be enough for most of the candidates, whose mantra seemed limited to “vote for me”, accompanied by their name and symbol.

Still, most candidates complained their time on the air was too brief.

“A candidate cannot even introduce himself to people in that much time – at least 10 minutes should have been allocated to each,” said Nasir Ahmad, a candidate for parliament from Kabul.

Another parliamentary candidate, Sebghatullah Sanjar, said, “I asked JEMB several times to extend the time for candidates on radio and television, but they wouldn’t agree to it.”

Haji Mohammad Mohaqeq, a former commander turned politician, was just as unhappy about the time constraints, saying, “The JEMB imposed limits on candidates and wouldn’t allow them to talk for more than the time allotted to them on radio and television.”

But even the modest time allowed was too much for some potential voters.

Mohammad Omid, 18, works in a Kabul factory making doors and windows, "When I come home at night from work, I'm too tired to watch TV. And in any case I got bored with the candidates after seeing their posters all over the city."

This voter fatigue may go toward explaining why more candidates did not take JEMB up on its offer.

The JEMB media commission said in the run-up to the election that it had cleared a total of 2,889 candidates to put their case on television or radio - less than half of the approximately 5,800 candidates in the running.

According to election commission spokeswoman Machteld Bierens de Haan, "In some provinces there is no television or radio station. Some candidates themselves did not want to use either media."

Haji Mohammad Yousuf Baluch, a council candidate in the Sayedabad district of Sar-e-Pul province, confirmed there was a problem in his area, “There is neither a radio nor television [station] nor any publication in this district through which we could articulate our views."

According to commission figures, the greatest number of candidates opting for television was in the western city of Herat, with 262 choosing to appear on Herat TV, part of the state-run RTA network. This was followed by 134 candidates in Kabul selecting the independent Tolo TV, and then 113 candidates in Nangarhar province going for Spin Ghar radio.

More than 400 candidates were foiled in attempts to have their campaign piece broadcast on two different stations – the repeat broadcast had to stay with the channel chosen for the original, said de Haan.

Election broadcasts went out on radio between six and nine each morning, timed to catch the many Afghans who start work early. The TV slots were screened between six and nine in the evening. The times were decided by the JEMB in consultation with broadcasters. Rival candidates were supposed to be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.

JEMB spokesman Sultan Ahmad Baheen said the costs of broadcasts varied, reaching 80 dollars for a two-minute advert on one television station.

At Internews, a non-governmental organisation supporting the biggest network of FM radio stations in the country, senior staff member Mir Abdulwahed Hashimi said that the station's first task was to verify the candidates' identities.

"The stations then help the candidates produce their message to voters. We charge 100 dollars for each parliamentary candidate's five-minute broadcast, including helping with the message. That is paid to us by the JEMB," he said.

He added that he believed the bill for a four-minute advert by a provincial council candidate was around 40 dollars.

But, in the end, it may all have been for nothing if the electorate cannot or will not tune in.

"I'm living in a part of the city where there is no electricity,” said Kabul resident Farid, 35. “I can’t watch TV. I have a radio but I couldn't be bothered to tune in to listen to any of the candidates."

Wahidullah Amani and Salima Ghafari are IWPR staff reporters in Kabul. Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi an IWPR staff reporter in Mazar-e-Sharif also contributed to this report.