34. Are there provisions for free or subsidized access to media for candidates?
Kazakhstan
Article 28.
[…]
3. The state shall guarantee an equal allocation of funds to the candidates to come out with their programs in mass media. Each candidate shall be granted with funds for a fifteen minutes speech on TV, ten-minutes broadcasting by the radio as well as for publication of two articles in the press in the volume that does not exceed 0.1 of a printed sheet.
The political parties that have nominated their party lists shall be eligible to participate in the political debates on TV, organized by the Central Election Commission within the time limit fixed by the Central Election Commission.
Mass media shall provide time for broadcasting and the space to print for the registered candidates and political parties that have nominated their party lists on a contractual basis. The terms and conditions of the contract for the provision of broadcasting and the printed space in mass media to the candidates and political parties that have nominated the party lists should not create advantages in favor of a certain candidate and a political party. The data about the size of payment, conditions and order of granting of on-air broadcasting time and the printed area shall be declared and published by the corresponding organization of the TV-radio broadcasting, the editorial staff of the periodic press not later than on the tenth day after an official publication of the decision on appointment an election. The named information needs to be presented to the Central and oblast (regional) election commissions during Elections of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, to other territorial as well as region election commissions during election of deputies of the Parliament, Maslikhats and members of other local self-government bodies.
The consent for allocation of time for broadcasting and a printed area given by mass media to one of the candidates or a political party which has nominated its party list shall be considered as consent to allocate time for on-air broadcasting and a printed area to other candidates or political parties that have nominated their party lists.
(Constitutional Act of the Rep
Article 33.
[…]
2. The following expenses shall be covered from the funds of the republican budget:
1) for organization and activity of election commissions, rent of premises, travel and living allowances, salary of advisers, experts, members of the linguistic commission, specialists, maintenance of electronic electoral system;
2) for speeches of candidates in mass media, except the candidates who stand for elections under the party lists, according to provisions established in clause 3 of Article 28 of this Constitutional Law;
3) for the conduct of public pre-election activities of candidates and for issue of campaign materials of candidates, except the candidates who stand for elections under the party lists to be covered in accordance with clauses 4 and 5 of Article 28 of this Constitutional Law;
4) for transport charges of candidates, except the candidates who stand for elections under the party lists to be covered in the size established by the Central Election Commission;
5) for the production of posters about candidates to President, the Senate and Maslikhats deputies, members of other local self-government bodies as well as about political parties, which have nominated party lists, which shall be placed in the premises of an election commission and at polling stations.
(Constitutional Act of the Republic of Kazakhstan, On Elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan, 1995 available at https://www.election.gov.kz/rus/normativno-pravovaya-baza-vyborov/zakon-respubliki-kazakhstan/zakon-o-vyborakh-v-respublike-kazakhstan.php accessed January 2018).
