A law barring the publishing or broadcasting of political messaging on the eve and day of elections, intended to prevent influencing the outcome, is obsolete and needs to change, MPs said on Thursday.
Lawmakers have tabled two separate bills amending the 1979 law pertaining to legislative elections.
As it stands, the law prohibits political messaging on the eve of, and the day of, elections – on penalty of a prison sentence of up to one year, or a fine up to €15,000, or both.
The matter came to the fore after a number of people – including candidates for MP – were questioned by police over social media posts they made just prior to the parliamentary elections held in May this year.
Akel MP Aristos Damianou spoke of an “unacceptable phenomenon”.
He said that though the law has been on the books since 1979, up until now it had not led to criminal prosecutions. However, following May’s elections, a number of people got in trouble with the law.
Under Akel’s proposal, social media posts would generally be exempt from the current constraints.
However, there would be exceptions: for example, people regarded as ‘influencers’.
Likewise, people who could influence public opinion, such as politicians and individuals designated as Politically Exposed Persons, would continue to be barred from posting material on the eve and day of elections.
The Alma party has drafted a similar bill.
MPs gave the interior ministry – in charge of enforcing electoral law – two weeks to come back with their feedback.
Odysseas Michaelides, leader of Alma, said the police investigated 27 individuals for social media posts, based on a law dating to 1979 when social media did not even exist.
He also claimed that authorities were applying double standards – referring to remarks made by former president Nicos Anastasiades on election day (May 24).
Anastasiades was not questioned by police, Michaelides pointed out.