642 Results
Quotes
Quotes based on international documents, law, and treaties- "States Parties undertake to implement programmes and carry out activities designed to promote democratic principles and practices as well as consolidate a culture of democracy and peace. To this end, States Parties shall: 4. integrate civic education in their educational curricular and develop appropriate programmes and activities."
- "In particular, States should: ...Initiate or facilitate national programmes of civic education, to ensure that the population are familiar with election procedures and issues."
- "The Electoral Commission should be required by law to provide for a satisfactory and adequately funded voter education programme that helps voters to be acquainted with the voting procedures and other aspects of civic awareness."
- "The public authorities have a number of positive obligations; inter alia, they must: i. submit the candidatures received to the electorate ii. enable voters to know the lists and candidates standing for election, for example through appropriate posting. iii. The above information must also be available in the languages of the national minorities. "
- "Election administrators…should work to provide to every voter the highest quality service required to enable voters to exercise their rights with the least possible inconvenience, given the circumstances and the country’s legal framework. In particular, they should: (i) Make it as convenient as possible for voters to participate in the election process; (ii) Ensure that voters adequately understand the election process; (iii) Do everything possible to provide a way to vote for people with special needs, such as blind, physically handicapped, or illiterate voters, or voters living in remote areas."
- "Principles guiding the work of electoral authorities can be summarized as…responsiveness to public needs for voter information and civic education..."
- "To ensure consistency and quality control, overall responsibility for the co-ordination of civic and voter education should rest with the EMBs."
- "Responsibility for impartial voter education often rests with the EMB, frequently in conjunction with civil society and the media."
- "While political parties, civic organizations and even international organizations may contribute to voter/civic education efforts, it is ultimately the responsibility of the government and the election authorities to ensure that voters receive objective and impartial information."
- "As with voter registration, a passive government policy, leaving education to political parties, churches and NGOs, may not be sufficient to establish the basic conditions for the conduct of a free and fair election."
- "An education programme…should be neutral and focused mainly on the voting procedure"
- "Civic and voter education should be provided in a manner that is non-partisan, independent, co-ordinated and consistent."
- "It is ultimately the responsibility of the government and the election authorities to ensure that the voters receive objective and impartial information."
- "Well organized, non-partisan voter information programmes and unhindered distribution of political propaganda are therefore critical elements of genuine elections."
- "It is therefore essential that this information is provided in a timely manner, allowing sufficient time to fully inform voters so that they can make use of the information."
- "It is therefore essential that this information is provided in a timely manner, allowing voters sufficient time to make use of the information."
- "States should require the infringement of rules concerning the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns to be subject to effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions."
- "Any irregularity in the financing of an electoral campaign shall entail, for the party or candidate at fault, sanctions proportionate to the severity of the offence that may consist of the loss or the total or partial reimbursement of the public contribution, the payment of a fine or another financial sanction or the annulment of the election."
- "The enforcement of political finance laws and regulations requires the existence of independent oversight authorities and an effective system of sanctions to end impunity."
- "The ideal requirements for political finance regulation in post-conflict societies listed below should be viewed as goals for the international community to achieve given the challenging constraints in which they are operating. There are three key requirements in the areas of legal framework, resources for political actors and institutions....3. Effective institutions and processes for enforcement of political finance regulation, including: Penalties and sanctions that are graduated and appropriate to the seriousness of the violation of political finance restrictions, reporting requirements or other regulations."
- "The violation of party finance regulations must be effectively sanctioned."
- "The legal framework for party and candidate financing should include provisions for disclosure, reporting, monitoring and enforcement."
- "To this effect, party financing legislation should include stipulations regulating at least four distinct aspects relating to the transparency of political finance: Enforcement: a legal system of sanctions to ensure that regulations on party financing are not evaded and to impose penalties when the law is breached. The provisions regarding transparency, control and enforcement of party financing should be laid down in public law. Almost every legal framework of party financing will include some provisions for disclosure, reporting, monitoring and enforcement."
- "States should require that any infringement of rules concerning the funding of political parties and election campaigns be subject to effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions."
- "It is important that the law establishes sanctions in proportion to the gravity of the offence and does not penalise a minor violation such as exceeding donation or expenditure limits with a severe penalty such as the loss of civil or political rights. Conversely, serious breaches of the law should not be penalised too lightly."
- "Any irregularity in the financing of a political party shall entail sanctions proportionate to the severity of the offence that may consist of the loss of all or part of public financing for the following year. Any irregularity in the financing of an electoral campaign shall entail, for the party or candidate at fault, sanctions proportionate to the severity of the offence that may consist of the loss or the total or partial reimbursement of the public contribution, the payment of a fine or another financial sanction or the annulment of the election."
- "States should promote the specialisation of the judiciary, police or other personnel in the fight against illegal funding of political parties and electoral campaigns."
- "The information provided to the public needs to be accurate, which means that the enforcement agencies need to have the means to audit the reports and ensure that they give a correct picture of the finances of the party or candidate’s campaign."
- "States should provide for independent monitoring in respect of the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns."
- "The independent monitoring should include supervision over the accounts of political parties and the expenses involved in election campaigns as well as their presentation and publication."
- "Ensure that the financing of political groupings and regional elections is not only subject to traditional parliamentary scrutiny but is also monitored by an independent body such as a court of auditors."
- "States should establish independent auditing bodies endowed with sufficient powers to supervise the accounts of political parties and the expenses linked to electoral campaigns."
- "Electoral campaign accounts will be submitted to the organ charged with supervising election procedures, for example, an election committee, within a reasonable time limit after the elections."
- "The ideal requirements for political finance regulation in post-conflict societies listed below should be viewed as goals for the international community to achieve given the challenging constraints in which they are operating. There are three key requirements in the areas of legal framework, resources for political actors and institutions....3. Effective institutions and processes for enforcement of political finance regulation, including: As noted above, a nonpartisan, independent institution responsible for enforcement of political finance regulations with sufficient authority, training and resources to perform enforcement responsibilities."
- "It is usual that the EMB has responsibility for supervising and enforcing campaign finance regulations."
- "Regulatory agencies must be independent in terms of appointments, security of tenure and funding, and should themselves be independently supervised."
- "To this effect, party financing legislation should include stipulations regulating at least four distinct aspects relating to the transparency of political finance: Monitoring: provisions for an independent body to inspect and control party accounts."
- "Independent monitoring should include supervision over the accounts of political parties regarding their regular sources of income and expenditure, their routine operational costs as well as their election expenses."
- "States should provide for independent monitoring of the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns. Political parties and candidates should be required to present regular accounts to an independent authority."
- "Political parties and candidates should account to the EMB for the use of such [public] resources."
- "The legal framework should require periodic reporting at reasonable intervals of all contributions received and expenditure incurred by an electoral contestant."
- "Campaign costs can include salaries, transportation, office expenses, the purchase of print and electronic media, and the printing and distribution of campaign materials."
- "The legal framework should specifically identify the agency responsible for receiving and maintaining campaign contribution and expenditure reports. The legal framework should clearly specify where and when such reports are available for public inspection."
- "It is a good practice to require both pre- and post-election disclosure of campaign spending."
- "[The Electoral Commission] should be empowered to ensure that proper election expense returns are submitted on time, to inspect party accounts, and for parties to have properly audited and verified accounts."
- "The auditing commission membership should be multiparty and include minority parties and members of the opposition."
- "Commissioners should not be eligible for re-appointment; those holding lifetime or one-term appointments are the least likely to be influenced by partisan interests."
- "Furthermore, there should be no budgetary strings attached which curtail the powers and restrict the scope of activities of the controlling commission should it criticize the government or major political parties. The auditing commission should be free from political pressure in carrying out its activities, and should be free from party intervention when appointing its staff."
- "The regulatory authority must have adequate powers to supervise and investigate accounts and to refer irregularities to the criminal justice authorities."
- "In order to be effective, the regulatory body must also have the autonomous capacity to seek out violations."