Côte d’Ivoire: Newspaper fined for publishing results of opinion polls

The National Press Council (CNP), the print media regulatory body in Côte d’Ivoire, on July 9, 2010 imposed a fine of three million CFA francs (aboutUS$6,000) on Regie Cyclone Company, publishers of Le Temps, a pro-government daily newspaper.

Media Foundation for the West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent reported that   the  fine  was  as  a result  of the  newspaper’s publishing of the results of opinion polls  conducted by  a research group, Tns-Sofres, on the country’s  presidential aspirants in the yet-to-be  announced  presidential elections in the  country.

The correspondent said the CNP sanction was in accordance with Section 5 of Article 39 of the Ministerial Order No. 2008-133 of 14 April 2008 on the amendments to the Post Crisis Electoral Code, which states: “It is prohibited to publish or to broadcast estimates of votes or to conduct opinion polls under whatever form, from whatever place after the publication of the provisional electoral roll”.

The electoral roll was published nationwide on October 2, 2009.

This is not the first time that Le Temps has been fined for a similar offence this year. On April 2, the newspaper was slapped with a fine of one million CFA francs (about.US$2, 000).

The correspondent  said   although  a date  is yet   to be fixed   for   the  country’s presidential  election,  a  research group, Tns-Sofres,  has  in  a  series   of  polls   predicted a win for   President Laurent Gbagbo.

- June 14, 2010 by MFWA

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Source: www.mediafound.org/index.php; (accessed on 14.07.2010)