MEDIA MONITORING PROJECT AFGHANISTAN RUNOFF CAMPAIGN NARRATIVE REPORT 01 July—06 July 2014 I. Background and Introduction: The IEC MC has established the Media Monitoring Project Afghanistan (MMPA), conducted by a third party, in support of its effort to monitor media conduct during the electoral process, as required by article 61 of the Electoral Law. Beginning on 22 May, the MMPA has been recording and monitoring coverage of 59 media outlets. This includes 21 private Kabul-based televisions, eight private Kabul-based radios, eight provincial televisions, seven provincial radios, twelve print media and three online media. See the attached Annexes for more details on the methodology, sources and entities monitored. The monitoring methodology is based on internationally recognized standards and practices and aims to provide qualitative and quantitative analysis of print and electronic media. The monitoring reports present statistics about the amount of time/space allocated to candidates and their campaign teams in different programmes, shares of the direct speech of candidates and representatives of their campaign teams, distribution of time according to gender of candidate/campaign team representative, the tone of the coverage - whether it is positive, neutral or negative - and instances of coverage which appear to be inconsistent with legal framework governing the media coverage of the campaign. This final report provides an overview of the results and coverage trends following the Second Round of the 2014 Presidential Council Election campaign media monitoring from 01 July 2014 through 06 July 2014. I. Broadcasting of Unofficial Results No broadcasting of unofficial results has been observed during the monitoring period. II. Daily Updates Tuesday, July 01-Wednesday, July 02, 2014 • Kabul News TV, Negah TV, Khurshid TV, Shamshad TV, Noorin TV, Aina TV, Mitra TV, Killid FM, Neda FM, Spogmai FM, Nawa FM and Salaam Watandar FM reported that the IEC will not announce preliminary results on Wednesday July 02, 2014. The IEC said that due to investigating and recounting votes from 2,000 polling centers, the preliminary results will be announced with a few days delay. • Negah TV, Khurshid TV, Noorin TV, 1 TV reported that Nader Mohsini IECC Spokesperson said that they have asked the UN to technically assist them in the investigation of the tapes that were allegedly from Zia-ul-Haq Amarkhel. • RTA reported that the Upper House and people asked both Commissions to separate the legitimate votes from fraudulent ones. Aina TV reported that Kabul residents asked the IEC to announce the preliminary results on the due date and they have asked the candidates to accept the results. They said they don’t want a reelection. • Aina TV and Killid FM reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent invitations to 40 countries to attend the Swearing-In Ceremony for the new President of Afghanistan. • ToloNews reported that Mohammad Younus Qanuni First Vice President will negotiate a meeting with both presidential candidates to meet and have a discussion. The time and place of the meeting will be specified by Younus Qanuni, and the candidates will meet to find solutions to the current election's problems, not to create a coalition government. • Mandegar Newspaper published an article about the meeting of Ustad Atta Mohammad Noor Governor of Balkh with the UN Representative to Afghanistan. In the article it was said that Atta Mohammad Noor has told the UN Representative that Abdullah Abdullah was the winner of the first and second rounds. Mandegar published another article titled "sheepish result of election is disproof". • Several TV and Radio stations including Shamshad TV, 1 TV, Aina TV, Negah TV, RTA, Khurshid TV, Noorin TV, Arezo TV, Saba TV, Maiwand TV, Mitra TV, Tolo News, Ariana News, Afghanistan FM, Killid FM, Neda FM and Salaam Watandar FM reported that Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani head of the IEC said in a press conference that the preliminary results will be announced with a few days delay on Monday July 7. • Several TV stations such as Shamshad TV, Saba TV, 1 TV, Zhwandoon TV, Negah TV, Aina TV, Afghan TV, Arezo TV, Tolo News TV, Ariana News TV and Khurshid TV broadcasted the live press conference of Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai. He talked about the delay of the preliminary results announcement and asked both Commissions to follow the timetable. He added that their votes are clear and they believe in transparency. • Tolo News TV had a special interview with Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani head of the IEC on the Intekhabat 93 program. He answered different questions from the presenter regarding fraud in the run-off, Zia-ul-Haq Amarkhel’s involvement in 2 electoral fraud, IEC management, the preliminary results announcement and the effect of electoral fraud on the credibility of the election. Thursday, July 03, 2014 • Aina TV, Ariana News TV, Negah TV, Shamshad TV, Khurshid TV, Killid FM and Neda FM reported that observers of the European Commission praised the delay in the preliminary results announcement and said it would support transparency in the election. Arezo TV, Kabul News TV and Salaam Watandar FM reported that observers of the EU Commission want votes from 6,000 polling centers to be recounted and inspected. Noorin TV reported that the European Representative expressed their concerns regarding fraud in the election and they asked that legitimate votes be separated from fraudulent ones. • Noorin TV reported that UNAMA also praised the IEC decision regarding recounting and inspection of ballot boxes and also asked the IEC to separate valid votes from fraudulent ones. • Afghan TV reported that the preliminary results would be announced with a few days delay on Monday July 7. • Aina TV reported that 120 ballot boxes from Faryab province were inspected; each box contained more than 600 votes that will be invalidated. • RTA TV, Arezo TV, and Shamshad TV reported that Abdullah Abdullah’s team announced that recounting of 1930 polling centers is not acceptable to them and if the results are announced in the next few days it won’t be acceptable to them. They added that if recounting and inspection is done in the presence of the UN, then it would be acceptable to them. They want between 6000 and 8000 polling centers to be inspected where more than 93% of votes were cast for one candidate as well as the polling centers where men worked instead of female workers and the polling centers where more than 599 votes were cast. They added that the inspection should be done in Kabul because it is difficult to do in the provinces. • Arezo TV reported that both presidential candidates will meet each other to find a solution for the current election problem. Before the candidates' meeting their teams will meet. • Killid FM reported that Kai Eide ex-UN Special Representative to Afghanistan said there was vast fraud in the 2014 election compared to the 2009 election. He added that organization was better than the 2009 election but there was more fraud than expected. Friday, July 04, 2014 • Several TV and Radio stations including Killid FM, Aina TV, Noorin TV, Shamshad TV, Tolo News TV, 1 TV, Maiwand TV, Noor TV, Rah-e-Farda TV, 3 Ariana News TV, Negah TV, Khurshid TV and Kabul News TV reported that US Senators have visited both presidential candidates Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah and said the meetings were positive. • Killid FM and Afghanistan FM again reported that observers of the EU Commission want votes from 6000 polling centers to be recounted and inspected. • Khurshid TV, 1 TV and Tolo News TV reported that Zia-ul Haq Amarkhel ex- head of the IEC Secretariat has returned to Afghanistan. Saturday, July 05, 2014 • Several TV stations including Ariana News, Tolo News, Kabul News, and 1 TV broadcasted the live press conference of Zia-ul Haq Amarkhel ex-head of IEC Secretariat today July 5, 2014 at 13:00. He said that as an Afghan citizen he has the right to travel. He said that he traveled out of the country for medical treatment. He also refused the allegations against him and said there are people creating problems for him. He said as an Afghan and Muslim I resigned so that Abdullah Abdullah’s team would participate in the election. • Several TV stations including Aina TV, Shamshad TV, Saba TV, Negah TV and Tolo News TV broadcasted the live press conference of Ahmad Zia Massoud, a senior member of Ashraf Ghani’s team. He said electoral problems should be solved legally and by the Elections Commissions. He promised to build roads, cold storage units, water and power infrastructure for the Kohdaman people. He also asked a member from Abdullah Abdullah’s team to join and work with their team. He added that preliminary results would be announced on Monday July 7. He accused Abdullah Abdullah’s team of not answering the people's question and making fun of national personalities, scholars and elders. Ahmad Zia Massoud’s press conference was covered in News Bulletins of other TV stations including 1 TV, Mitra TV and Khurshid TV. • Several TV and Radio Stations including Zhwandoon TV, Negah TV, Khurshid TV, Shamshad TV, RTA, Mitra TV, Ariana News TV, Khawar TV, Kabul News TV, Noorin TV, 1 TV, Saba TV, Killid FM and Nawa FM reported that Zia-ul Haq Amarkhel ex-head of IEC Secretariat returned to Afghanistan. Mr. Amarkhel said he traveled out of the country for medical treatment. He also refused the allegations against him. • A few TV stations including Noorin TV, RTA, 1 TV, Shamshad TV, Mitra TV, Afghan TV and Ariana News TV reported that Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai had a press conference in which he insisted on the preliminary results announcement and added that the swearing-in ceremony for the next president shouldn’t be delayed.