Minister of Information, Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi on Thursday issued two ministerial decisions regulating media and tourist activities and settings terms for the media coverage and advertisement for the upcoming parliamentary and municipal elections.

The ministry, in a statement, called upon the media, electronic media and the press to abide by the Ministerial Resolution 17/2023 with respect of the terms and rules governing the media coverage, the advertisement and promotion of the National Assembly and Municipal Council’s elections.

The ministry official spokesperson said the decision includes amendments to the Ministerial Resolution 833/2022 regarding the regulation of permits for the media activities and the fees.

The permit applicant must admit that he (or she) had not been stripped of the license in the past.

Murad indicated that the decision included rules regarding the permits for conducting statistics, public opinion surveys regarding the elections, where the permit would remain valid for two weeks after final declaration of the elections’ results.

Regarding the Ministerial Resolution 17/2023, Murad said it tackled terms of media coverage and promotion for the parliamentary and municipal polls, where the relevant rules would be in force during the duration as off publishing the decision or decree calling for the election in the official Gazette until final declaration of the elections’ results. He affirmed that the minister’s decision is intended to safeguard the electoral process and penalizing any wrongdoer.

Meanwhile, Lafi Sbayee, the assistant undersecretary for the press and publications, said there would be a special center for the media personnel in front of the elections affairs headquarters to facilitate issuance of the permits and statements related to the process.

Source: Kuwait News Agency