33. What criteria determine allocation for free or subsidized access to media for political parties?

Despite there is no specific information on the allocation conditions, Section 67 of the Act defines that: (1) a political party registered with the Independent Electoral Commission shall have the right to have the substance of its campaign propaganda reported on news broadcasts of the Government-owned media and in any newspaper in circulation in Lesotho. The case of news broadcasts in Government-owned media is regulated as follows: (a) the content of the news shall be professionaly determined by the media, (b) the media shall maintain neutrality in the manner of reporting the news of the campaign propaganda of a political party registered with the Commission and generally in its commentaries, and (c) the Commission shall monitor the news broadcasts and shall ensure news coverage of the campaigning by the political parties registered with the Commission. The Commission shall further, by arrangement with the Government-owned media, allocate tima on the radio and television during which political parties may be allowed to speak or appear in campaigning for elections and the Commission shall determine the allocation of time to each political party. (2) No political party registered with the Commission may broadcast commercial advertisements for its campaign on Government-owned media.