NENO Calls for Candidates to Follow Good Campaigning Practice

As the October 20 local elections loom, NENO calls for candidates to follow Good Campaigning Practice. Each week in the run-up to the elections, NENO publishes its „Hall of Shame“ listing the worst offenders.

Good Election Practice calls for parties to finance their campaign transparently, for candidates to refrain from abusing public positions and for everyone to focus on substantive debates instead of fearmongering, personal attacks and simplistic interpretations.

The weekly „Hall of Shame“ is put together by the panel of volunteer experts from academia, journalism and civic activism. The experts, called  the Guardians of Good Conduct, assess ads and activities of candidates on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the worst violators.

Scores for the first „Hall of Shame“, published today:

6th place: Edgar Savisaar's cafe ads, 1.7 points

Although the Election Act bans all outdoor political ads 40 days before the actual election date, posters with very similar designs to the Center Party's campaign posters have appeared in Tallinn promoting the “Edgar Cafe,” a venue on a hill above Freedom Square, overlooking the city's government building. The opening was attended by Edgar Savisaar, who handed out free coffee and pastries.

5th place: the copying of municipality slogans, 2.6 points

The Reform Party in Haapsalu and a election coalition in Meremäe municipality in Võru County are using their respective local government's slogans on their campaign posters.

4th place: Eerik-Niiles Kross's anti-Savisaar campaign, 2.9 points

The guerrilla political ad campaign run by IRL aimed at Savisaar's alleged corruption has used, among other instruments, a remote-controlled helicopter.

3rd place: decoy candidates, 3.0 points

Out of 101 MPs, a full 93 are running for local offices. A number of government ministers have also put their names forward, without anyone expecting them to actually climb down the political career ladder and take local office.

2nd place: “Tallinn Helps” campaign, 3.7 points

The Tallinn government put up posters advertizing new playgrounds and kindergarten places, even during the period when outdoor political ads were banned. The panel found that the Center Party was in essence using taxpayer money to promote their achievements.

1st place: Tallinn politicians on taxpayer funded posters, 3.9 points

In August, Põhja-Tallinn district elder Karin Tammemägi and deputy elder Priit Kutser had posters featuring giant pictures of themselves promoting the city's sporting events or developments put up. Mayor Savisaar, meanwhile, is pictured on a poster playing the drums and advertizing the opening of a stadium (see picture above). All of these ads were at the expense of the taxpayer.

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