3619 Results
Quotes
Quotes based on international documents, law, and treaties- "Where sanctions are imposed, it is essential that the sanctioned parties have the right to appeal and have recourse to a fair hearing by an impartial tribunal that can provide an effective remedy."
- "To allow for the effective regulation of the use of state resources, legislation should clearly define what use is permitted and what is prohibited."
- "There is an increased understanding in states’ national legislation that any form of gifts to voters, beyond low-value campaign materials, can be considered vote buying."
- "Although a participating State has the flexibility to determine the structure of the legal framework for campaign finance, the primary instruments should be written, as opposed to being based on custom or a collection of administrative policies. Written law provides the benefit of equity, certainty, visibility and transparency. It enhances the consistent application of law and makes the matter subject to judicial interpretation and review, as well as open to recourse by citizens."
- "The rules governing campaign finance legislation should be as clear and precise as possible, including the key terminology. Interpretation of the regulations should not be a matter of subjective opinion."
- "The oversight body’s mandate and areas of responsibility should be clearly delineated to avoid conflicts of interest or overlapping jurisdiction."
- "The legislation should be enacted sufficiently in advance of elections to give voters and all participants in the process – including authorities, contestants and media – enough time to become informed of the rules. The late adoption of campaign finance legislation can undermine trust in the process and reduce the opportunity for contestants and other stakeholders to become familiar with and prepare for implementation of the rules."
- "Campaign finance rules should ensure equality of opportunity for parties and candidates alike. Special measures may be incorporated to encourage more balanced participation of underrepresented groups, such as women, national minorities or persons with disabilities."
- "Campaign finance rules should be adopted in an inclusive manner and be published and made available to the public in a timely and accessible manner."
- "Limitations on contributions can be means to minimize the possibility of corruption or the purchasing of political influence."
- "Regulations may limit the overall monetary contribution an individual or a legal entity may make to a candidate/party (quantitative restrictions). Additionally, regulations may prohibit contributions from certain sources, such as foreign persons or organizations, legal entities, state bodies or public enterprises, or anonymous donations (qualitative restrictions)."
- "Limitations on expenditures may be imposed to ensure equality of opportunities among the various political forces."
- "Limits (on contributions and spending) should be clearly defined in the law and be realistic to ensure that all electoral contestants are able to run an effective campaign, recognizing the cost of modern elections. It is good practice for limits to be indexed against inflation, rather than set as absolute amounts. "
- "When used, direct public campaign financing of political parties and, in some cases, candidates should be provided equitably and based on objective criteria."
- "It is in the interest of political pluralism to condition the provision of direct public financing on attaining a lower threshold of support than the electoral threshold for the allocation of mandates in parliament."
- "State resources should not be diverted or misused for campaign purposes. All state resources used for campaign purposes, such as media, buildings and event venues, must be made available to all electoral contestants on the basis of equal treatment, and disclosed or reported accordingly. "
- "Legislation should regulate in-kind contributions, such as subsidized advertising and printing, office and equipment rental. Good practice is followed if legislation defines how in-kind contributions are valued, for example based on market prices. Additionally, if an individual or legal entity forgives an outstanding debt for goods or services, this should be considered an in-kind contribution, subject to the limitations that apply to contributions and, where applicable, counting towards expenditure limits."
- "Legislation can also regulate whether candidates and parties are entitled to spend their own private funds, and set a limit."
- "The legal framework should clarify the rules governing loans extended to political parties and candidates to finance their campaigns. "
- "It is good practice to permit only bank loans and credit-card debts, and not loans from other corporations or from individuals."
- "It is important that legislation does not unduly prohibit spending and political expression before the official start of the campaign, since the free exchange of ideas, especially political ideas, should always be allowed. However, it is possible to set certain specific limitations, provided that these are reasonable and proportionate to the objective of a fair electoral campaign. This may include prohibitions on leafleting or direct calls to voters that ask them to vote for a specific party before a given date."
- "States should require parties and candidates to maintain records and report on all direct and in-kind contributions, as well as all campaign expenditures during a campaign period."
- "The deadline for submitting the final report to the oversight body should be precisely defined in the law. It is critical that the timeframe be sufficient to allow those with reporting obligations time to assemble the information, yet not too long, to allow the oversight body to undertake a thorough and expedient auditing and, where necessary, initiate proportionate and timely sanctions."
- "It is good practice for authorities to introduce a standard template and guidance for reporting, which enables timely analysis and meaningful comparison between different parties and candidates. (…) Further, reporting formats should include the itemization of all contributions and expenditures into standardized categories as defined by the regulations. Itemized reporting should include the date and amount of each transaction, as well as copies of proof of the transaction (for example, receipts, checks, bank transfers and loan agreements). "
- "Disclosure rules should clearly define who is subject to these requirements, what has to be disclosed and when. This information should be made public by the candidate or party and/or the oversight body, preferably on the Internet and in a user-friendly format."
- "Reports should be made publicly available without unnecessary delay, and be easy to understand. It is important that the law establish clear and timely deadlines for oversight bodies to publish reports and ensures that they are easily accessible to the public for an extended period of time. It is an increasingly good practice to publish reports on the Internet in a standardized and searchable format, as well as through newspapers with a high circulation. Electoral contestants may also publish their reports directly as an additional measure of transparency."
- "To ensure the effectiveness of campaign finance rules, it is critical that responsibility for supervision be given to an independent and professional regulatory body, mandated to provide guidance to electoral stakeholders, check campaign finance reports and investigate potential breaches, and that it be endowed with sanctioning power in order to promote the effective implementation of the law and ensure the accountability of all stakeholders."
- "Appointments to the regulator should be independent from political pressure, and should include checks to increase its impartiality, neutrality and financial independence."
- "The designated institution or institutions should be given the necessary financial, human and operational resources to fulfil its mandate, as well as sufficient time to undertake its duties comprehensively and effectively."
- "The more serious sanctions, such as dissolution of a party, should only be a measure of last resort, as determined by a court, in compliance with due process of law and only for the most serious violations."
- "While it is important to respect the free internal functioning of parties with regard to candidate selection and platform choices, public campaign financing may be used as a means to encourage more balanced participation of men and women as candidates."
- "Democracy requires, in particular, the holding, at regular intervals, of free, fair and transparent elections, based on the respect and exercise, without any hindrance or discrimination, of the right to freedom and physical integrity for every voter and every candidate, the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, especially through the press and other communications media, freedom of assembly and demonstration, and freedom of association."
- "Democracy is incompatible with any substantial change in the electoral system introduced arbitrarily or surreptitiously, and there must be a reasonable interval between the adoption of any amendment and its entry into force. "
- "Democracy presupposes the existence of political parties that have equal rights and are free to organize and to express themselves, provided their programs and actions do not call into question the fundamental values of democracy and human rights. Thus, democracy goes hand-in-hand with a multiparty system. The opposition must be guaranteed a clearly defined status free of any ostracism."
- "Democracy requires the practice of dialogue at all levels, between citizens, between social partners, between political parties, and between the State and civil society. Democracy implies participation by citizens in political life and allows them to exercise their right of control."
- "We, Ministers and Heads of Delegation of the States and Governments of Countries using French as a common language, (…) 4 - Undertake the following commitments: (…) B. For the holding of free, fair and transparent elections (...) 7. To strive to strengthen the national capacities of all players and institutions involved in the electoral process, with particular attention to establishing reliable civil registries and voters' lists."
- "We, Ministers and Heads of Delegation of the States and Governments of Countries using French as a common language, (…) 4 - Undertake the following commitments: (…) B. For the holding of free, fair and transparent elections (...) 8. To ensure that the organization of elections, from the preparatory stage through the election campaign to the counting of votes and the proclamation of results, including, where required, the resolution of any disputes, is conducted in full transparency and is handled by credible bodies whose independence is recognized by all."
- "We, Ministers and Heads of Delegation of the States and Governments of Countries using French as a common language, (…) 4 - Undertake the following commitments: (…) B. For the holding of free, fair and transparent elections (...) 9. To guarantee the full participation of citizens in the vote, as well as equal treatment of candidates during the entire electoral process."
- "We, Ministers and Heads of Delegation of the States and Governments of Countries using French as a common language, (…) 4 - Undertake the following commitments: (…) B. For the holding of free, fair and transparent elections (...) 10. To involve all legally established political parties, those in the majority as well as those in the opposition, in all stages of the electoral process, with full respect for the democratic principles enshrined in the basic legislation and the institutions, and allow them access to funding from the State budget."
- "We, Ministers and Heads of Delegation of the States and Governments of Countries using French as a common language, (…) 4 - Undertake the following commitments: (…) B. For the holding of free, fair and transparent elections (...) 11. To take the necessary steps to move towards national financing of elections with public funds."
- "We, Ministers and Heads of Delegation of the States and Governments of Countries using French as a common language, (…) 4 - Undertake the following commitments: (…) C. For a peaceful political life (...) 17. To recognize the role and facilitate the constant involvement of civil society, including non-governmental organizations, the media and traditional moral authorities, enabling them, in the public interest, to make their contribution to a balanced political life."
- "We, Ministers and Heads of Delegation of the States and Governments of Countries using French as a common language, (…) 4 - Undertake the following commitments: (…) C. For a peaceful political life (...) 18. To ensure effective respect for freedom of the press and guarantee that all political forces have an equitable access to the public and private media, both printed and audiovisual, under regulations consistent with democratic principles."
- "Every person with disability has the right to barrier free access to the physical environment, transportation, information, including communications technologies and systems, and other facilities and services open or provided to the public. "
- "State Parties shall take reasonable and progressive step measures to facilitate full enjoyment by persons with disabilities of this right, and such measures shall, among others, apply to: (…) c) Information, communications, sign languages and tactile interpretation services, braille, audio and other services, including electronic services and emergency services; (...) e) The modification of all inaccessible infrastructure and the universal design of new infrastructure. "
- "Every person with a disability has the right to participate in political and public life. "
- "State Parties shall take all appropriate policy, legislative and other measures to ensure this right (to participate in political and public life), on the basis of equality, including through: a) Undertaking or facilitating systematic and comprehensive civic education to encourage full participation of persons with disabilities in democracy and development processes, including by ensuring civic and voter education materials are availed in accessible formats. "
- "State Parties shall take all appropriate policy, legislative and other measures to ensure this right (to participate in political and public life), on the basis of equality, including through: (…) b) Encouraging the effective participation of persons with disabilities in political and public life including as members of political parties, electors and holders of political and public offices in accordance with national laws. "
- "State Parties shall take all appropriate policy, legislative and other measures to ensure this right (to participate in political and public life), on the basis of equality, including through: (…) c) Putting in place reasonable accommodations and other support measures consistent with the secrecy of the ballot, including as appropriate, accessibility of polling stations and facilitating assisted voting, for persons with disabilities to enable their effective participation in political and public life in accordance with national laws. "
- "State Parties shall take all appropriate policy, legislative and other measures to ensure this right (to participate in political and public life), on the basis of equality, including through: (…) e) Repealing or amending laws that on the basis of disability restrict the right of persons with disabilities to vote, stand for or remain in public office. "
- "The human rights model of disability recognizes that disability is a social construct and impairments must not be taken as a legitimate ground for the denial or restriction of human rights."