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"The functioning of an electoral body should not be subject to the direction of any other person, authority or political party; it must function without political favour or bias. The body in charge of administering or supervising an election must be able to operate free of interference, simply because any allegation of manipulation, perception of bias, or alleged interference, will have a direct impact, not only on the credibility of the body in charge, but on the entire process. There are many instances in which the perceived influence of a political party or parties of the electoral machinery has severely detracted form the validity of election results. Particularly in developing and emerging democracies, there is a much greater degree of vulnerability to allegations of undue influence and bias, thereby making the entire process more susceptible to credibility judgments, which then inevitably result in a limited acceptance of election results and of the process as a whole."
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OSCE (ODIHR): Guidelines to Assist National Minority Participation in the Electoral Process, p. 48Summaries
- Election management bodies should be impartial and should not discriminate in the performance of their public function.
- The state should establish an independent and impartial election body.
- The composition of the election commission can vary, but the principles of independence and impartiality should be upheld.