Indicator: Were any manifestations of election propaganda seen in front of
or inside the polling and counting center?
12. Despite the significant organizational efforts undertaken by the competent
authorities, it was noticed that there was strikingly obvious electoral
propaganda before and during the start of the balloting process, especially
in the polling and counting provincial centers. This was exemplified by
posting candidates’ election posters, signboards, and advertisements, or
by the presence of individuals, mostly children, wearing items of clothing
emblazoned with candidates’ faces and distributing leaflets or water
bottles bearing candidates’ photos or other publicity images, or the
presence of others electioneering for one candidate or another, or by
making direct phone calls to voters to persuade them to vote for a
particular candidate on the morning of polling day.
13. In this respect, the NIHR calls on all contesting candidates to respect the
provisions of the law regulating electoral campaigning and to refrain from
exploiting children in their election campaign activities in the streets and
public roads as this practice has negative impacts on children and exposes
them to danger in a way that is not suitable for their age group, in the best
interests of the child.
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