The regulations must ensure that: • there is a fair and balanced allocation of time between each political party and independent candidate; • each political party and independent candidate is allowed a reasonable opportunity to present a case through the broadcasting service concerned. The Commission is placed under an obligation to monitor broadcasters during the election period to ensure that they observe these provisions. The sole public broadcaster presently is the government-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings. It operates national television and radio broadcasting services. These stations broadcast a constant stream of propaganda strongly supporting the ruling party and disparaging opposition parties. Their news reporters and news presenters are partisans of the ruling party. During previous elections, these media have been accused of biased reporting by giving excessive and favourable coverage of the election campaigns of members of the ruling party and minimal and unfavourable coverage of the election campaigns of the opposition. Since the Broadcasting Services Act was passed not one single broadcaster has been licensed to operate broadcasting services. The maintenance of the de facto broadcasting monopoly of ZBH makes it imperative that this sole public broadcaster behave in a professionally impartial manner when covering elections. Ideally, before the next elections in Zimbabwe more broadcasters should be allowed to start to operate so that the public can receive a greater diversity of information and viewpoints. However, it is unlikely that other broadcasters will be able to commence operations before the next election even if they were to receive the requisite licences. Print media The Amendment Bill also provides for various obligations on the print media and broadcasters. During the election period such media must ensure that • they treat equitably all political parties and candidates in regard to the extent of their coverage and the timing and prominence of their coverage; • their reports are factually accurate, complete and fair; • they make a clear distinction between factual reporting and editorial comment; • they rectify inaccuracies in reports without delay and with due prominence; • they give a reasonable right of reply to political parties and candidates where they claim that the reports about them are false; • they do not promote political parties or candidates that encourage violence or hatred against any class of persons in Zimbabwe; • they avoid in their reports language encouraging racial, ethnic or religious prejudice or hatred or inciting violence or likely to lead to undue public contempt towards any political party, candidate or class of persons in Zimbabwe. Monitoring of media coverage The Amendment Bill imposes a duty on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to monitor news media to ensure that political parties, candidates, broadcasters, print publishers and journalists do not breach the new provisions of the Act. The Bill does not, however, address the issue of how the Commission is to deal with any such breaches. It is not given any explicit powers to sanction the media institution concerned by imposing penalties. 17