3.2.6 Access of candidates(parties) to the media The issue of access of political actors to the media has become one of the greatest worries in present-day democracies because the latter cannot function properly without the good functioning of the former. In effect, in every competitive democracy worthy of its name, and especially in every new democracy, one of the principal objectives is to ensure that at the end of each electoral competition, the best wins. The best should normally be the one who will have convinced the voters of his objectives for society and of his ability as well as that of his team to achieve them. None of this is possible or even imaginable without resorting to information and communication technologies, especially the media(radio, television, print media, etc.). But to talk of access to the media is to talk of financial resources. The use of the media is one of the greatest drains on the campaign budgets of candidates and political parties. That is why it is indispensable to pay particular attention to this matter in order to avoid a situation in which finally only candidates who have considerable financial means win the elections. We would cease to be in a political system where the best(those with the best programmes and the most capable teams) win, that is to say we would no longer be in a democracy worthy of the name. The situation in most countries of the sub-region with regards to the management of access of political actors to the media is almost the same. The general approach is summed up in the adoption of measures which guarantee equal access of candidates(parties or persons) to the public service media during the period of the electoral campaign. In spite of this similarity throughout the region, some specific traits exist, even if only from the point of view of legislation, which can be cited by way of good or less good examples. 180