DECREE

on enactment of the Election of the Federal Representatives to the Council of Citizens of the Federal Assembly Law

I hereby enact the Election of the Federal Representatives to the Council of Citizens of the Federal Assembly Law, passed by the Federal Assembly, at the session of the Council of Citizens on September 22, 1993 and at the session of the Council of Republics on September 22, 1993.

No. 72

September 22, 1993

Belgrade

President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Zoran Lilic

THE ELECTION OF THE FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES TO THE COUNCIL OF CITIZENS OF THE FEDERAL ASSEMBLY LAW

I-Basic provision

Article 1.

This law shall define election and termination of mandates of federal representatives to the Council of Citizens of the Federal Assembly (in further text: the representatives).

Article 2.

The citizens shall elect the representatives on the basis of free, general, equal and direct suffrage, by secret ballot.

None shall have a right to, on any grounds, obstruct or force a citizen to vote, to hold him/her responsible for voting or ask him/her to state for whom he has voted or why he/she has not voted.

 

Article 3.

The representatives shall be elected in the election units determined by the federal law, on the basis of the lists of political parties, and the lists proposed by groups of citizens (in further text the electoral list).

The representative’s mandates shall be allocated in proportion to the number of obtained votes.

Article 4.

Citizens shall have a right to be informed through public media about the electoral programs and activities of the submitters of the electoral lists as well as about the candidates from the electoral lists.

In order to achieve the rights of citizens cited in paragraph 1 hereabove, the public media shall be obliged to carry out persistently the principals of equality of all the submitters of the electoral lists and the candidates from those lists.

The preelection silence, i.e. the termination of the electoral propaganda through the public media and public assemblies, shall begin 48 hours before the day of the election, and shall last until the time prescribed for the closure of the pooling stations that is determined by article 59 of this Law. In that period it shall not be allowed to announce the estimation of the results of the election.

Article 5.

The bodies for carrying out the election shall be the electoral commissions and the pooling boards.

Article 6.

The protection of the suffrage shall be provided by the electoral commissions, the Federal Constitutional Court and the competent courts.

Article 7.

The funds for carrying out the election shall be provided in the Fund for financing the election of the federal representatives to the Council of Citizens of the Federal Assembly (in further text: the Fund).

Article 8.

No tax shall be paid on activities, enactments, applications and other papers in connection with carrying out the election or with the termination of mandates.

II- Suffrage

Article 9.

The suffrage, in the sense of this Law, shall include the citizens’ right: to elect and be elected; to nominate and be nominated for the representative; to decide upon the proposed candidates and the election lists; to publicly ask questions to candidates; to be informed of the programs and the activities of the submitters of the electoral lists and candidates from those lists, on time, truly, completely and objectively, as well as to have other rights provided by this Law.

Article 10.

Yugoslav citizen, who has reached 18 years of age, has civil capacity and who has the residence in the area of the election unit where he practices his suffrage (in further text: the voter) shall have a right to elect the representative.

The voter can not be deprived from his right to vote, nor can that right be forbidden.

Yugoslav citizen, who has reached 18 years of age, has civil capacity and has the residence on the territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, may be elected for the representative.

Article 11.

The representative in the Council of Citizens may not be the person that is at the same time the representative in the Council of Republics of the Federal Assembly.

III-Electoral units

Article 12.

The electoral units and the number of the representatives elected in every electoral unit shall be determined by the federal Law.

The election of the representatives shall be conducted, on basis of the electoral lists, in the electoral unit.

IV-Voters’ register

Article 13.

The record of the voters shall be kept in the voters’ registers.

The voters’ register shall be a public document and shall be kept ex officio.

The voters’ register shall be unique and permanent and it must be updated it in the year of the election.

Article 14.

The voters shall be registered into the voters’ register according to their residence.

Yugoslav citizens, temporarily residing abroad shall also be registered in the voters’ register, according to the last residence they had before going abroad.

The citizens serving military time or on military exercise, as well as the citizens tha are in detention or are serving sentences in prison shall be registered into the voters’ register according to their last residence.

The voters’ register shall not include persons who are deprived of civil capacity by a valid court decision. If such persons are registered into the voters’ register, they shall be erased from it, and when their civil capacity is restored by a valid court decision, they shall be reregistered in the voters’ register.

Article 15.

The registration in the voters’ register and the erasing from it shall be carried out ex officio, on the basis of the information from the record books, other public records, public documents and through direct checking.

The registration in the voters’ register and the erasing from it shall also, on voter’s demand, be carried out on basis of some other trustworthy evidence.

Article 16.

Within three days from the day of calling the election, the body competent for the voters’ register shall inform, through the public announcement or through public media, the citizens that they may inspect the voters’ register and ask for the registration, erasing, change, addition or correction of the voters’ register.

The demand for the registration, erasing, change, addition or correction of the voters’ register shall be submitted before the body competent for the voters’ register. The necessary evidence shall be submitted together with the demand.

The body competent for the voters’ register shall adopt the decision on the demand cited in paragraph 2. hereabove, within the next 48 hours, starting from the day of the reception of the demand. The decision, without delay, shall be delivered to the submitter of the demand.

Against the decision cited in paragraph 3. hereabove, charges may be submitted before the court competent for administrative disputes, within the 48 hours from the moment of the deliverance of the decision. The charges shall be submitted through the body that has adopted the decision, and that body shall be obliged to submit to the competent court the charges and the required papers, within 24 hours from the moment of the reception of the charges.

The court shall decide upon the charges cited in paragraph 4. hereabove, within 24 hours from the moment of the reception of the charges, in accordance with the regulations on the administration disputes procedure.

The court decision shall be valid and executive.

Article 17.

The voters’ register shall be concluded at least 15 days before the day determined for the election. The competent body shall, upon the closure of the voters’ register, adopt the decision that shall contain the total number of citizens registered in the voters’ register and the date of the closure of the voters’ register.

The decision on the closure of the voters’ register shall be submitted to the electoral commission no later than 24 hours from the moment it has been adopted.

The electoral commission, within 24 hours from the moment of the reception of the decision, shall submit the data of the total number of voters in the electoral unit, to the Federal Electoral Commission.

The Federal Electoral Commission, on the basis of the data delivered by the electoral commissions, shall publicly announce the total number of the voters, in whole and by electoral units, within the 24 hours from the moment of the reception of the data.

After the closure of the voters’ register, registration, erasing, change, addition or correction may be carried out only on the basis of the decision of the competent court determined by the regulations of the member Republic, no later than 48 hours before the day determined for the election.

On issues related to holding of the voters’ register, that are not regulated by this Law, the regulations of the member Republic shall be applied.

Article 18.

The body competent for the voters’ register shall create the certified excerpt from the voters’ register for every pooling station. The excerpt shall be delivered to the electoral commission within the 24 hours from the moment of adopting the decision on the closure of the voters’ register.

The body cited in paragraph 1. hereabove shall issue suffrage certificates.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall adopt the more detailed instructions on the content of the excerpt from the voters’ register, on the form in which it shall be composed, and on the way of its certification.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall prescribe the regulations for the creation of the excerpt from the voters’ register for the voters voting outside the pooling station, and the form of the suffrage certificate.

Article 19.

General supervision upon the holding of the voters’ register shall be performed by the Federal Electoral Commission.

V-Calling the election

Article 20.

The President of the Republic shall call the election for the representatives.

The day of the election and the day from which the prescribed periods for completing the electoral activities shall start, shall be determined by the decision on calling the election.

The decision on calling the election shall be published in the "Official bulletin of FRY".

Article 21.

No less than 60, and no more than 90 days may pass from the day of calling the election until the day of election, except in cases otherwise prescribed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Article 22.

The election shall be conducted no later than 15 days before the termination of the 4 year mandate of the existing convocation. The period of four years shall start from the moment of the verification of the mandates of the representatives.

The mandate of the representative from the previous convocation shall end on the day of the verification of mandates of the representatives of the new convocation.

The mandate shall be verified within 15 days from the day of the election.

Article 23.

In case of termination of the mandate of the Federal Assembly, the dismissal of the Federal Assembly, or the termination of mandates of the representatives based on the decision of the Federal Assembly, the President of the Republic shall call the election within seven days from the day of the termination of the mandate of the Assembly, or on the day of Assembly’s dismissal, or on the day when the decision on the termination of the mandates of the representatives came into force.

VI-Bodies for carrying out the election

1. Status

Article 24.

The bodies for carrying out the election shall be autonomous and independent in their work, and shall work in accordance with the Law and the regulations passed by in accordance with the Law.

For their work, the bodies for carrying out the election shall be responsible to the body, which has nominated them.

All the bodies and the organizations shall be obliged to provide assistance to the bodies for carrying out the election and to provide them with the data necessary for their work.

Article 25.

The bodies for carrying out the elections shall decide by the majority of votes of their members.

Article 26.

The members of the electoral commissions shall be nominated on four year period and the members of the pooling boards –for every election.

Article 27.

The members of the bodies for carrying out the election and their deputies shall be persons with suffrage.

The term of the office of the members of the bodies for carrying out the election and of their deputies shall terminate when they accept the candidacy for the representative.

Article 28.

The work of the bodies for carrying out the election is public.

The representative of the submitter of the electoral list and other persons who observe the work of the bodies for carrying out the election shall be obliged to operate in accordance with the regulations prescribed by the Federal Electoral Commission.

Should the persons cited in paragraph 2. hereabove violate the regulations on order maintenance at the pooling station or distract the work of the bodies for carrying out the election in any other way, the body for carrying out the election may remove them from the pooling station, and the information about that shall be put in the minutes.

The candidate from the verified and announced electoral list shall not be present during the activities of the body for carrying out the election.

Article 29

The electoral commissions shall be:

            1) Federal Electoral Commission

            2) Electoral commission of the electoral unit (in further text: the electoral commission)

2. The Federal Electoral Commission

Article 30.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall be made up of: a president, a secretary and five members, elected by the Federal Assembly, and a one representative for each submitter of the electoral list that had proposed the candidates for the representatives in the member Republic as a single electoral unit, or in no less than two thirds of the electoral units in the member Republic. The representative of the federal organization competent for the statistics shall be nominated in the Federal Electoral Commission.

The president, the secretary and the members of the Federal Electoral Commission shall have deputies.

The president and his deputy shall be nominated amongst the judges of the Federal Court.

The members of the Federal Electoral Commission elected by the Federal Assembly and their deputies shall be nominated amongst the persons holding judicial functions.

The Federal Electoral Commission, within the 24 hours from the moment when the electoral commission adopts the decision on the announcement of the electoral list, shall determine which submitter of the electoral list fulfills the conditions for determination of its’ representatives for the membership to this body.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall deliver to the submitter of the electoral list the decision on fulfilling or non-fulfilling the conditions for determination of the representatives of the submitter of the electoral list, within the 24 hours from the moment of adopting that decision.

The membership of the Federal Electoral Commission shall be published in the "Official bulletin of FRY".

Article 31.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall:

            1) take care of the legality of carrying out the election;

            2) observe the enforcement and give opinions and explanations about the enforcement of this Law;

            3) coordinate the work of the electoral commissions in the procedure of carrying out the election;

            4) determine the uniformed standards for the electoral material;

            5) prescribe the form of the execution of the electoral actions that are prescribed by this Law;

            6) prescribe the regulations on execution of the electoral actions that are determined by this Law;

            7) determine the electoral documents that shall be delivered to the Federal Electoral Commission;

            8) prescribe the way of the announcement of the electoral lists;

            9) determine the way of handling and saving of the electoral material;

            10) announce the final total results of the election;

            11) submit the report to the Council of Citizens about the conducted election;

            12) perform other activities determined by this Law.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall adopt the operating procedure about its’ work.

Article 32.

The conditions for the work of the Federal Electoral Commission shall be provided by the Federal Assembly.

3. Electoral Commission

Article 33.

The electoral commission shall be made up of: a president, a secretary and five members, elected by the Federal Assembly, after having obtained the opinion of the Assembly of the member Republic, and one representative of each of the submitters of the lists, that have proposed no less than three quarters of the candidates representatives out of the total number of the representatives that shall be elected in the electoral unit.

The president and the members of the electoral commission that are elected by the Federal Assembly and their deputies, shall be nominated amongst the persons holding judicial functions.

If the election for the representatives to the Council of Citizens is being held in the member Republic as a single electoral unit at the same time with the election for the representatives to the Assembly of the member Republic, the function of the electoral commission cited in paragraph 1. hereabove, shall be performed by the electoral commission of the member Republic, in accordance with this Law and the Law of the member Republic.

The electoral commission, within the 48 hours from the moment of adopting the decision on the announcement of the electoral list, shall determine which submitter of the electoral list fulfills the condition for determination of his representatives in the membership of the electoral commission.

The electoral commission shall deliver the submitter of the electoral list the decision on fulfilling, or non-fulfilling the condition for determination of the representative of the submitter of the electoral list in the membership of the electoral commission, within the 24 hours from the moment of adopting that decision.

The membership of the electoral commission shall be published in the "Official bulletin of FRY".

Article 34.

The electoral commission shall:

            1) take care of the legality of carrying out the election in the electoral unit;

            2) organize technical preparations for the election;

            3) determine the pooling stations;

            4) form the pooling boards and elect the president and the members of the pooling boards;

            5) determine the number of ballots for the pooling stations, certify them and, together with certified excerpt from the voters’ register, deliver them to the pooling boards, and make the minutes of their delivery to the pooling board;

            6) determine whether the electoral lists have been composed and submitted in accordance with this Law;

            7) adopt the decision on the announcement of the electoral list;

            8) determine the results of voting in the electoral unit and the number of votes for every electoral list;

            9) determine the number of mandates belonging to every electoral list;

            10) submit the report of the results of the election to the Federal Electoral Commission;

            11) deliver the data on the election to the bodies competent for collection and processing of statistical data;

            12) perform other activities determined by this Law.

The electoral commission shall adopt the operating procedure about its’ work.

4. Pooling board

Article 35.

The pooling board shall be made up of: a president, no less than two members and one representative of each of the submitters of the electoral lists that have proposed no less than three quarters of the candidates representatives out of the total number of the representatives that shall be elected in the electoral unit, as well as of no more than two joint representatives of the other submitters of the electoral lists in that electoral unit.

The president and the members of the pooling board shall have deputies.

The pooling board shall be nominated no later than ten days before the day determined for the election.

The electoral commission, within the 48 hours from the moment of adopting the decision on the announcement of the electoral list, shall determine which submitter of the electoral list fulfills the conditions for determination of his representatives in the membership of the pooling board.

The electoral commission shall deliver the submitter of the electoral list the decision on fulfilling, or non-fulfilling the conditions for determination of the representative of the submitter of the electoral list in the membership of the pooling board, within the 24 hours from the moment of adopting that decision.

The submitters of the electoral lists may reach an agreement on determination of the joint representative in the polling board.

Article 36.

The pooling board shall directly conduct voting at the pooling station, ensure regularity and secrecy of voting, determine the results of voting at the pooling station and perform other activities determined by this Law.

The pooling board shall take care of maintaining the order at the pooling station during the vote.

The pooling board shall determine the member of the pooling board for voting outside the pooling station.

More detailed regulations on the activities of the pooling board shall be prescribed by the Federal Electoral Commission.

5. Representatives of the submitters of the electoral lists in bodies for carrying out the election

Article 37.

The submitter of the electoral list cited in articles 30, 33 and 35 of this Law shall determine the representatives into the bodies for carrying out the election and shall inform about that the bodies that have nominated the bodies for carrying out the election.

After the reception of the notice about the persons who shall be members of the bodies for carrying out the election, those bodies, within the 48 hours from the moment of the reception of the notice, shall determine the persons that shall become their members.

If the submitter of the electoral list does not determine the representative for the body for carrying out the election, the body that has nominated the body for carrying out the election, no later than five days before the election day, shall adopt the decision stating that. In that case, the body for carrying out the election shall begin, or continue to work and to validly decide without the representative of the submitter of the electoral list.

VII- Electoral list

1- Candidacy

Article 38.

The candidates for the electoral list may be proposed by the registered political parties, separately or jointly, as well as by the group of citizens, under the conditions determined by this Law.

Article 39.

One person may be a candidate only on one electoral list and only in one electoral unit.

On one electoral list there may be no more candidates than there are to be elected in the electoral unit, and no less than two thirds of that number if the submitter of the electoral list is a political party, and no less than one half of that number if the submitter of the electoral list is a group of citizens.

Article 40.

The submitter of the electoral list may withdraw the list until the day of determination of the collective electoral list, at latest.

The function of the representative of the submitter of the electoral list in all the bodies for carrying out the elections, as well as all the rights that, in accordance with the preposition of this Law, belong to him/her in regard with that function, shall terminate by withdrawal of the electoral list.

The candidate may give up the candidacy until the day of adopting the decision on announcement of the electoral list.

Article 41.

If after adopting the decision on announcement of the electoral list the candidate gives up the candidacy, if he/she is deprived of civil capacity by a valid court decision, if he/she looses the Yugoslav citizenship, or his/her residence ceases to be on the territory of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, or in the case of the death of the candidate, the submitter of the electoral list shall loose the right to propose a new candidate.

The position on the electoral list of the candidate cited in paragraph 1. hereabove shall take the candidate who is next on the electoral list.

In the case laid out in paragraph 1. hereabove, the electoral list is valid, although regarding the number of candidates it does not fulfill the conditions as set out in the article 38 of this Law, nor shall the rights determined by this Law to the submitters of the electoral list terminate.

2. Name, determination and announcement of the electoral list

Article 42.

The name of the electoral list shall be determined by the name of the political party submitting that list.

If two or more political parties submit the joint electoral list, they shall determine the name of the electoral list in agreement with each other.

Next to the name of the electoral list of a group of the citizens, the submitter shall also determine a more precise designation of that list.

In the name of the electoral list cited in paragraphs 1. to 3. hereabove, the submitters may include the name and the surname of the carrier of that list.

Article 43.

The electoral list shall be determined if it is supported by signatures of no fewer than 1000 voters with residence in the electoral unit that has up to million voters, or 2500 voters in the electoral unit that has more than a million voters.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall prescribe the contents and the format of the form for the signatures cited in paragraph 1. hereabove.

Article 44.

The voter may support only one electoral list by his signature.

Article 45.

The collection of the signatures for proposing the candidates for the electoral list, within the electoral campaign, shall be started and carried by the political parties, as well as by the citizens, individually or collectively.

Article 46.

The electoral list shall be delivered to the electoral commission no later than 30 days before the day determined for the election.

To the electoral commission, the following documents shall be delivered together with the electoral list:

            1) the suffrage certificate for every candidate from the electoral list, containing the name and the surname, the date of birth, the occupation and the personal number of the candidate;

            2) candidate’s written statement that he accepts the candidacy;

            3) the certificate of the residency of the candidate;

            4) written consent of the carrier of the list cited in article 42 paragraph 4 of this Law.

Article 47.

After the reception of the electoral list and the documentation, the electoral commission shall issue the decision that shall proclaim the electoral list of one (party electoral list), two or more political parties (coalition electoral list), or the group of citizens (electoral list of group of citizens).

The decision on the announcement of the electoral list cited in paragraph 1. hereabove, shall be delivered to the submitter by the electoral commission without any delay.

Article 48.

Should the electoral commission determine that the electoral list has not been submitted on time, it shall adopt the decision on the rejection of the electoral list.

Should the electoral commission determine that the electoral list has some irregularities that are an obstacle for its’ announcement in accordance with this Law, it shall adopt, within 24 hours from the moment of the reception of the electoral list, the conclusion by which the submitter of the electoral list shall be obliged to correct these irregularities within 48 hours from the moment of deliverance of the conclusion. By that conclusion, the submitter shall also be informed of the necessary action for the correction of the irregularities.

Should the electoral commission determine that the electoral list does not fulfill the conditions as laid out in this Law, or that the irregularities of the electoral list have not been corrected, or that they have not been corrected within the prescribed period, it shall adopt the decision that rejects the announcement of the electoral list, within the next 48 hours.

3. Collective electoral list and order of the electoral lists

Article 49.

The collective electoral list shall be determined by the electoral commission and it shall contain all the electoral lists with the names of all the candidates.

The order on the collective electoral list shall be determined by the president of the electoral commission by drawing lots, in presence of authorized representatives of the submitters of the electoral lists that fulfill the conditions for taking part in the activities of the electoral commission prescribed by this Law.

The electoral commission shall publicly announce the collective electoral list no later than 15 days before the day determined for the election.

VII. Presentation of the submitters of the electoral lists and the candidates from the electoral lists

Article 50.

The submitters of the electoral lists shall have the right to equally inform the citizens about programs and activities, as well as about the proposed candidates, in public media, within the same daily terms or in the same columns.

For the presentation of the submitters of the electoral lists and candidates, as well as for other preelection activities, the funds may not be collected and supplied from foreign legal and natural persons.

Article 51.

The organizations broadcasting radio and television program that were founded by the federal state, or the member Republic, shall be obliged, from the day of calling the election, to provide presentation, that shall last equally and be in the same term, of the submitters of the electoral lists and candidates from the electoral lists, as well as presentation and explication of the electoral programs of the submitters of those lists, within the politically- informative program that can be seen and heard on whole territory of the member Republic.

It shall not be allowed to the organizations cited in paragraph 1. hereabove, under any conditions, to enable the presentation of the candidates from the electoral lists, as well as the presentation and the explication of the electoral program of the submitters of the electoral lists in commercial, entertaining or other program.

Article 52.

The editors and the hosts of political-informative and specialized broadcasts shall be obliged to, within the electoral campaign, present all the candidates in independent and objective manner, and the hosts shall need to have an impartial approach to all the presented political, social and ethnical-cultural programs.

In accordance with proposition cited in paragraph 1.hereabove, and based on article 4. paragraph 2. of this Law, the broadcasts, in which public confrontation of the electoral programs of the submitters of the electoral lists and the candidates from those lists is provided, shall be organized.

Article 53.

The representatives of the organizations broadcasting radio and television program that were founded by the federal state, or the member Republic, the representatives of the founders of those organizations and the representatives of the political parties attempting to participate in the election shall settle by an agreement the number and the duration of the broadcasts intended for the equal presentation.

The agreement cited in paragraph 1. hereabove shall be concluded no later than five days from the day of adopting the decision on calling the election, and without delay publicly announced.

Article 54.

All public media that were founded by province, city or municipality shall, in accordance with this Law, be obliged to provide the equal conditions for the presentation of all the submitters of the electoral lists and the candidates from those lists.

The public media cited in paragraph 1. hereabove, with the participation of the representatives of the founders and the submitters of the electoral lists, shall determine more detailed rules for the presentation of the submitters of the electoral lists, electoral programs and the candidates from the electoral lists.

IX. Carrying out the election

1- Polling stations

Article 55.

Voting for the representatives shall be conducted at the pooling station.

The pooling station shall be determined for voting of no more than 2500 voters.

The more detailed regulations in regard to the pooling station shall be determined by the Federal Electoral Commission.

Article 56.

The voter shall vote at the pooling station where he/she is registered in the excerpt from the voters’ register.

Exceptionally to the paragraph 1. hereabove, the voter may, by letter, vote outside the pooling station where he/she is registered in the excerpt from the voters’ register, under the conditions laid out by this law.

The way of voting outside the pooling station, as well as the number of voters that have performed their suffrage in that way, shall be entered in the minutes of the pooling board’s activities.

The more detailed regulations on voting by letter shall be determined by the Federal Electoral Commission.

Article 57.

No later than five days before the election day, the notice about the day and the time of the election, together with the number and the address of the pooling station where the voter shall vote, and the number under which the voter has been registered in the excerpt from the voters’ register, shall be delivered to every voter.

The notice cited in paragraph 1. hereabove, shall be delivered to the voters by the body competent for the voters’ register.

Article 58.

Every voter shall vote in person.

During the election the voter may vote only once.

Voting shall be secret.

Voting shall be conducted on the certified ballots.

Displaying symbols of the political parties and other propaganda material shall be forbidden at the pooling station and within 50 meters from the pooling station.

Should the proposition cited in paragraphs 1. to 5. hereabove be violated, the pooling board shall be dismissed, and voting at that pooling station shall be repeated.

The more detailed instructions on the measures that shall provide the secrecy of voting shall be determined by the Federal Electoral Commission.

Article 59.

The pooling stations in the electoral unit shall open at 7 am, and shall close at 8 pm. During that period the pooling station must be open at all times.

The voters present at the pooling station at the moment of its’ closure shall be allowed to vote.

Article 60.

Should the order at the pooling station be disturbed, the pooling board may interrupt voting until the order is reestablished. The duration and the reasons of the interruption of voting shall be entered in the minutes of the pooling board’s activities.

Should voting be interrupted for no less than one hour, voting shall be prolonged for the duration of the interruption.

Article 61.

The members of the pooling boards or their deputies must be at the pooling station as long as the pooling station is open and as long as voting lasts.

A separate chamber in which a secret ballot is possible shall be provided for each pooling station.

The procrastination of stay at the pooling station, of all persons who do not have rights and duties prescribed by this Law in regard with conducting the election, shall be forbidden.

The officers of law on duty may enter the pooling station only if the order at the pooling station is disturbed, and only with the permission of the president of the pooling board.

Should the paragraphs 1. to 4. hereabove be violated, a complaint may be submitted before the electoral commission, that shall decide whether voting at that pooling station shall be repeated.

2. Electoral material

Article 62.

The ballot shall contain:

            1) the mark of the electoral unit;

            2) the index number put in front of the name of the electoral list;

            3) the names of the electoral lists, in the accordance with the article 42. of this Law, by the order determined on the collective electoral list, with the name and he surname of the first candidate from the list;

            4) a note that voting should be only for one electoral list, by circling the index number in front of the name of that list.

Article 63.

The ballots shall be prepared and certified by the electoral commission.

The electoral commission shall determine the number of ballots that must be equal to the number of voters registered in the voters’ register.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall control the preparation and the certification of the ballots and shall determine the number of spare ballots.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall prescribe more detailed regulations on the form and the image of the ballots, on the control and the way they are printed, and on the handling the ballots.

Article 64.

The electoral commission shall be obliged to prepare on time for every pooling board the material for voting, especially the necessary number of ballots, the electoral lists, the excerpt from the voters’ register, certificate of suffrage, special and official envelopes for voting, as well as the form of the minutes on pooling board activities.

The deliverance and the reception of the electoral material shall be done no later than 48 hours before the election day.

The competent body shall take care of the preparation of the pooling stations and shall prepare for every pooling board the necessary number of ballot boxes with the kit for their sealing and the writing kit.

On the election day, before the beginning of voting, the pooling board shall determine whether the prepared electoral material for that pooling station is complete and correct, whether the pooling station has been prepared in the way to insure the secret ballot, and whether voting may start, which shall be entered in the minutes of the pooling board activities.

Article 65.

The collective electoral list, with the names of the electoral lists and the names of all the candidates, during voting time must to be visibly posted at the pooling station.

The content, the form and the way of posting of the collective electoral list cited in paragraph 1. hereabove shall be prescribed by the Federal Electoral Commission.

Article 66.

The representatives of the submitters of the electoral lists and the candidates for the representatives shall have the right of access to the electoral material, especially to the excerpts of the voters’ registers, the minutes of the pooling board, the minutes of the electoral commission and the ballots. The access shall be performed in the official rooms of the electoral commission, as well as at the bodies where the electoral material is stationed.

The access to the electoral material may be carried out within five days from the election day.

Article 67.

The electoral material shall be kept for at least four years.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall prescribe the way of using the electoral material.

Article 68.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall prescribe the contents and the form of the documents and of the electoral material needed for the election, within 15 days from the day of its’ nomination.

3. The vote

Article 69.

The polling board shall inspect the ballot box in the presence of the first voter to arrive at the polling station. The inspection results shall be noted on the control ballot, which shall be signed by the members of the polling board and the voter first to arrive at the polling station.

The control ballot shall be placed in the ballot box, after which the box shall be sealed and this shall be entered in the minutes of the polling board activities.

The first thing upon opening the ballot box shall be verifying the existence of the control ballot. Should there be no control ballot, the polling board shall be dismissed and a new one appointed, and voting at that polling station shall be repeated.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall prescribe the form of the control ballot and the way of sealing of the ballot box.

Article 70.

The voter shall first state to the pooling board his/her name, and surname, hand in the notice about voting, and verify his/her identity with an ID card or another piece of identification.

The voter may not vote without showing some form of identification.

Upon verifying the identity of the voter, the president or a member of the polling board shall circle the index number of the voter in the excerpt from the voters’ register, shall explain the voting procedure and hand him/her the ballot.

Article 71.

The members of the polling board may not influence the decision of the voter in any way.

The members of the polling board shall repeat the voting procedure explanation to the voter, at his/her request.

The members of the polling board shall be obliged to pay special attention that the voter is not disturbed while filing the ballot, and that the voting secrecy is fully ensured.

Should the regulations cited in paragraph 2. and 3. hereabove be violated, the electoral commission shall dismiss the polling board, form a new polling board and order voting to be repeated at that polling station.

Article 72.

The voter may vote for only one electoral list from the ballot.

The vote shall be cast by circling the index number in front of the electoral list that the vote is for.

The voter shall fold the ballot in such a way that the vote cannot be seen and place it in the appropriate ballot box, after which he/she shall leave the polling station.

Article 73.

On the election day no changes shall be made in the excerpts from the voters’ register.

Should paragraph 1. hereabove be violated, the polling board shall be dismissed and voting at that polling station shall be repeated.

Article 74.

Should the voter not be capable of personally voting at the polling station (blind, disabled or illiterate persons), he/she may come with a person that shall fill in the polling ballot, i.e. vote for them, in the way that the voter instructs.

The manner of voting cited in paragraph 1. hereabove shall be entered in the minutes.

Article 75.

Should the voter not be capable of voting at the polling station (disabled or hindered person) he/she shall inform the polling board whether he/she desires to vote. The polling board shall, through its members, enable such a person to vote in such a manner that shall protect the directness and secrecy of voting.

Upon being informed of the inability of the voter to vote at the polling station, the polling board shall through its members deliver to the voter in an official envelope a certified ballot, collective electoral list, a special envelope for the filled ballot and certificate of suffrage.

After the voter cited in par. 1 hereabove votes, he/she shall enclose the ballot in the special envelope, which the member of the polling board shall seal with a stamp in wax before him/her. The sealed envelope containing the ballot, and suffrage certificate shall be placed in an official envelope which the member of the polling board shall seal with a stamp in wax before him/her.

The member of the polling board shall hand over the official envelope to the polling board, the polling board shall open the official envelope, confirm that the suffrage certificate is included, circle the voter’s index number in the excerpt from the voters’ register, and place the sealed envelope containing the ballot in the ballot box.

The way of voting cited in paragraph 1. hereabove shall be noted in the minutes.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall determine more detailed regulations regarding the way of voting cited in paragraph 1. hereabove.

Article 76.

The voter serving military time, or on military exercises, i.e. fulfilling their military duty in units or institutions of the Yugoslav Army, shall vote in those units or institutions.

Based on the information from the body competent for the voters’ register regarding the voters cited in paragraph 1. hereabove the electoral commission shall be obliged to form and certify special excerpts from the voters’ register of these voters, and deliver them together with the necessary number of certified ballots, collective election lists, special and official envelopes to the military units and military institutions where the voters are located.

After the voter cited in paragraph 1. hereabove places his/her vote, he/she shall enclose the ballot in the special envelope, which shall be sealed with a stamp in wax before him/her. The sealed envelope containing the ballot shall then be placed in an official envelope that the body in charge of conducting the election in the military unit or military institution shall seal with a stamp in wax before him/her.

The body in charge of conducting the election in the military unit or military institution shall deliver the sealed official envelope to the electoral commission.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall determine more detailed regulations regarding the way of voting in military units and military institutions.

Article 77.

The voter working on the day of the election or studying within the country but away from the place where they are registered in the voters’ register may vote by mail.

The voter cited in paragraph 1. hereabove shall address the polling board at the polling station where they are registered in the excerpt from the voters’ register with the demand that the polling board deliver to him/her the notice about voting, ballot, collective electoral list, special envelope for the ballot, suffrage certificate and official envelope.

After the voter cited in paragraph 1. hereabove votes, he/she shall put the ballot in the special envelope. He/she shall then put the closed envelope containing the ballot and the suffrage certificate in the official envelope, and mail it to the polling board cited in paragraph 2. hereabove.

Article 78.

The voter temporarily residing abroad on the election day shall vote at the polling station in the municipality of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in which he/she had his/her last residence before going abroad.

Article 79.

Should the voter be a member of the crew of a seagoing or river vessel sailing under the flag of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that is out of territorial waters of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on the election day, or an officer in a diplomatic or consular mission of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia abroad or a member of their families living abroad, he/she shall vote on the vessel or at diplomatic or consular mission.

The competent ministry shall provide the conditions for voting of the voter cited in paragraph 1. hereabove

Based on the information from the body competent for the voters’ register regarding voters cited in paragraph 1. hereabove, the electoral commission shall be obliged to form a list and certify special excerpts from the voters’ register of these voters, and deliver them together with the necessary number of certified ballots, collective electoral lists, special and official envelopes to the vessel or the mission.

For conducting the election on the vessel or at the diplomatic or consular mission, the commander of the vessel or the administrator of the diplomatic or consular mission shall form a polling board consisting of voters from the vessel or the mission.

After the voter cited in paragraph 1. hereabove votes, he/she shall put the ballot in the special envelope. He/she shall then put the envelope containing the ballot and the suffrage certificate in the official envelope, which shall be sealed before him/her.

The body competent for conducting voting on the vessel or at the diplomatic or consular mission shall deliver the sealed official envelopes to the competent electoral commission without delay.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall determine more detailed regulations regarding the way of voting of voters cited in paragraph 1. hereabove

Article 80.

Persons in detention or serving sentences in prison shall vote by mail.

Based on the information from the body competent for the voters’ register regarding voters cited in paragraph 1. hereabove the electoral commission shall be obliged to form a list and certify special excerpts from the voters’ register of these voters and deliver them together with the necessary number of certified ballots, collective electoral lists, special and official envelopes to the penitentiary where the voters are located.

After the voter cited in paragraph 1. hereabove votes, he/she shall put the ballot in the special envelope. He/she shall then put the envelope containing the ballot and the suffrage certificate in the official envelope, which a member of the polling board shall seal before him/her.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall determine more detailed regulations regarding the way of voting of voters cited in paragraph 1. hereabove.

Article 81.

In the event of voting by mail, votes shall be counted should they arrive at the polling station or electoral commission by 8 p.m. on the day of the election.

Exceptionally to paragraph 1. hereabove, if because of the great distance of the voters cited in articles 76, 77, 78 and 79, the polling boards are not able to deliver the electoral material on time, the pooling boards shall inform about that the electoral commission in the most expeditious manner.

The material cited in paragraph 2 hereabove shall be delivered by the polling boards subsequently, and no later than by 8 p.m. the day after the election is held.

In the case of voting by mail the number of voters that voted and the way of voting shall be noted in a special record whose content and form shall be determined by the Federal Electoral Commission.

X. Determining and announcing the election results

1. Determining the election results

Article 82.

After the vote is completed the polling board shall begin determining the results of voting at the polling station.

The polling board shall determine the number of unused ballots and put those ballots in a special wrapper, which shall then be sealed.

Based on the excerpt from the voters’ register the polling board shall determine the number of voters that have voted.

When the ballot box is opened, and the control ballot checked the valid ballots shall be separated from the invalid.

The polling board shall determine the number of invalid ballots and enter the number in the minutes. The number of valid ballots shall then be determined, as well as the number of votes for each electoral list, which is then also entered in the minutes.

An invalid ballot shall be: a ballot that is not filled, a ballot that is filled in an ambiguous way so that it cannot be determined which electoral list the vote is for, or a ballot with more than one electoral list circled.

In the event of the name and surname of the first candidate on the electoral list being circled or the name of the electoral list being circled, or should the index number, the name of the electoral list and the name and surname of the first candidate be simultaneously circled, the ballot shall be considered valid.

Should the voting be conducted by mail, ballots without the suffrage certificate shall be considered invalid.

Should it be determined that the number of ballots is greater than the number of voters that voted, the polling board shall be dismissed and a new one nominated, and voting at that polling station shall be repeated. The results at that polling station shall be determined after the repeated voting.

Article 83.

When the polling board determines the results of voting the following data is entered in the minutes on the polling board activities: the number of received ballots, the number of unused ballots, the number of used ballots, the number of invalid ballots, the number of valid ballots, the number of votes for each electoral list, the number of voters according to the voters’ register excerpt, the number of voters that voted according to the register, and the number of voters that voted by mail.

The comments and opinions of the members of the polling board, the electoral list submitters and joint representatives of the sumitters of the electoral lists cited in article 35 of this Law, as well as all other facts relevant to the voting process shall also be entered in the minutes on the polling board activities.

All members of the polling board shall sign the minutes on the polling board activities.

Article 84.

Upon determining the results of voting, the polling board shall without delay, and no later than 18 hours from the closure of the polling station, deliver the following to the electoral commission: the minutes on the polling board activities, the voters’ register excerpt, the used and unused ballots - separately, the valid and invalid ballots - separately, as well as all remaining electoral material.

Article 85.

The results of the election shall be determined by the electoral commission based on the results from all polling stations in the electoral unit.

Upon receiving the electoral material from the polling stations the electoral commission shall determine: the total number of voters registered in the voters’ register, the number of voters that voted at the polling stations, the total number of voters that voted by mail, the total number of ballots received at the polling stations, the total number of unused ballots, the total number of invalid ballots, the total number of valid ballots, and the number of votes given to each electoral list and shall deliver them to the Federal Electoral Commission within 72 hours of the closing of the polling stations.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall determine the content and form of the minutes of the electoral commission activities.

Article 86.

The electoral commission shall determine the total number of votes won by each electoral list and shall determine the number of mandates obtained by each list.

Each electoral list shall acquire a number of mandates proportional to the number of votes it obtained.

Article 87.

Only electoral lists that received at least 5% of the total number of votes cast in the electoral unit shall participate in the division of the mandates.

Article 88.

The electoral commission shall divide the mandates using the system of the greatest denominator.

The number of mandates received by each list shall be determined by dividing the total number of votes won by each list in the electoral unit by numbers from one to the number of representatives elected in that particular electoral unit. These fractions are then arranged by size, taking into account as many greatest fractions as there are representatives that are being elected in the electoral unit. Each list shall receive as many mandates as fractions belong to it.

Should two or more electoral lists acquire the same fractions, which would grant them one or more mandates, and should there be no more undistributed mandates, the mandate shall go to the electoral list with the greater total of won votes.

In the case that a certain electoral list receives more mandates than there are candidates on the list the mandate shall go to the list with the next greatest fraction.

In the case that not a single electoral list receives at least 5% of the cast votes determined by article 87. of this Law, the mandates shall be distributed in accordance with par. 1 to 3 hereabove.

Article 89.

Mandates received by a certain list shall only be granted to candidates from that list.

In the event that a certain electoral list receives more mandates than there are candidates on the list the mandate shall go to the list with the next greatest degree.

Article 90.

The submitter of the electoral list shall distribute the mandates won by the list in the following manner: one third according to their order in the list and two thirds according to the submitter’s choice, in accordance with his/her rules.

In the event that a certain electoral list receives an even or odd number not divisible by three, the submitter shall determine the number of mandates to give to candidates in the order from the list by taking the whole number of mandates given to the list divided by three and increased by one. The remaining mandates shall be divided according to the submitter’s choice, in accordance with his/her rules.

2. Announcing the electoral results

Article 91.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall announce the following results of the representatives election:

            1) the number of voters in the voters’ register

            2) the number of voters that voted at the polling stations

            3) the number of voters that voted outside the polling stations

            4) the number of voters that voted

            5) the received number of ballots

            6) the number of unused ballots

            7) the number of used ballots

            8) the number of invalid ballots

            9) the number of valid ballots

            10) the number of votes won by each electoral list

            11) the number of mandates won by each electoral list

Article 92.

The final total results shall be announced by the Federal Electoral Commission within 24 hours of receiving the results of the electoral commissions.

From the moment the vote is finished until the declaration of the final total results, the electoral commission shall announce temporary information on the results of the election in the electoral unit through public media.

The final total results of the election shall be published in the "Official bulletin of the FRY".

Article 93.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall issue the representative a certificate that he/she has been elected into the Council of Citizens, on the day of the mandate verification.

XI. Termination of a mandate, repeated election, filling of representatives’ seats vacancies and premature election

1. Mandate Termination

Article 94.

The mandate of a representative shall terminate before the end of his/her term of office in the following cases:

            1) submitting a resignation;

            2) dismissal of the Federal Assembly, the termination of the mandate of the Federal        Assembly, or the termination of the mandates of the representatives of the Federal Assembly by the decision of the Federal Assembly in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;

            3) if he/she was sentenced on no less than 6 months imprisonment by a valid court decision;

            4) if he/she is deprived of his/her civil capacity by a valid court decision;

            5) in the event that the position of the representative may not be coupled with another position, in cases determined by this Law;

            6) loosing Yugoslav citizenship;

            7) if his/her residence terminates in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;

            8) death of the representative;

            9) if his/her membership in the political party from whose list the representative was elected from terminates;

The representative's mandate shall end on the day that one of the cases cited in paragraph 1 arises.

Should the political activities of the political party or registered coalition be prohibited, or the party or the coalition be removed from the register of political organizations, the mandate of the representative elected from the list of that party or coalition shall terminate.

The date on which the mandate shall terminate shall be decided by the Council of Citizens on the next consecutive session following the notification of the reason for the termination of the representative's mandate, except in cases cited in item 2. hereabove.

2. Repeated elections

Article 95.

Repeated elections shall be held should the competent electoral commission annul the election in accordance with this Law.

Article 96.

Should the electoral commission annul the election at a particular polling station, voting shall be repeated only at that polling station.

When the election is repeated in cases cited in this Law, the electoral commission shall issue a decision about repeated voting at the particular polling station.

In the cases cited in paragraph 1. and 2. hereabove the electoral results shall be determined after the termination of repeated voting.

Article 97.

The repeated election shall be conducted in the manner and following the procedure determined by this Law for conducting of the election.

The repeated election shall be called by the electoral commission.

The repeated election shall be held no later than 15 days after the day of the election annulment.

In the event of the repetition of the elections cited in Article 96 paragraph 2, the repeated election shall be held no later than 7 days after the day of the adoption of the decision on election annulment.

The previously announced electoral lists shall not be altered for the repeated election.

3. Filling representatives’ seats vacancies

Article 98.

Should the mandate of a representative be terminated before the end of the term of his/her office, as laid out in Article 94, paragraph 1. of this Law, excluding item 2. of that paragraph, the mandate shall be granted to a new representative in the manner determined by this article.

Should the mandate of a representative be terminated before the end of the term of his/her office as laid out in paragraph 1. hereabove, the mandate shall be granted to the submitter of the electoral list from whose list the representative was elected from and that mandate shall be granted to the following candidate from the list, for whom the list submitter did not receive a mandate.

Should the mandate of a representative be terminated before the end of the term of his/her office as laid out in paragraph 1. hereabove, and there are no candidates for whom the list submitter did not receive a mandate, the mandate shall be transferred to the list with the next greatest fraction.

Should the mandate of a representative be terminated before the end of the term of his/her office as laid out in Article 94. paragraph 3. the mandate shall be granted to the electoral list submitter cited in paragraph 3. hereabove.

The mandate of the new representative shall last until the end of the term of the office of the representative whose mandate had been terminated.

Before the mandate of the candidate cited in paragraph 2, 3. and 4. hereabove is verified, the written consent that the candidate accepts the mandate shall be requested.

4. Premature elections

Article 99.

Should the Federal Assembly be dismissed or the mandate of the Federal Assembly come to an end, or should the Federal Assembly by a decision terminate the mandates of the representatives, the premature election shall be called.

Premature election shall be called by the President of the Republic.

The decision on calling premature election shall be published in the "Official bulletin of the FRY".

Premature election shall be conducted in the manner and following the procedure determined by this law for conducting the election.

XII Protection of suffrage

Article 100.

The bodies competent for carrying out the election shall be obliged to, during the election process, inform the voters of their electoral rights and means of protecting these rights.

Article 101.

Each voter, candidate and electoral list submitter shall have the right to file a complaint before the competent electoral commission regarding the irregularities in the procedure of the candidacy and electoral procedure.

Complaints cited in paragraph 1. hereabove shall be filed within 24 hours of the moment that the decision is made, action performed or irregularity carried out.

Article 102.

The complaint against the decision, action or irregularity performed by the polling board shall be filed before the electoral commission.

The complaint against the decision, action or irregularity performed by the electoral commission shall be filed before the Federal Electoral Commission.

Article 103.

The competent electoral commission shall reach a decision within 48 hours of receiving the complaint, and deliver it to the submiter of the compliant.

Should the competent commission find that the complaint is justified the decision or action shall be annulled.

Should the competent commission not reach a decision within the time period determined by this Law, it shall be considered that the complaint is accepted.

Article 104.

A complaint can be filed before the Federal Electoral Commission against the decision of rejection or denial by the competent electoral commission.

The complaint cited in paragraph 1. hereabove shall be filed before the electoral commission that made the decision, within 48 of the delivery of the decision.

The electoral commission cited in paragraph 2. hereabove shall deliver the complaint and necessary documents to the Federal Electoral Commission within 24 hours of the reception of the complaint.

Article 105.

An appeal against the decision of rejection or denial by the Federal Electoral Commission may be filed before the Federal Constitutional Court.

The appeal cited in paragraph 1. hereabove shall be filed through the Federal Electoral Commission within 48 hours of the delivery of the decision.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall deliver the disputed decision and necessary documents to the Federal Constitutional Court within 24 hours from the reception of the appeal.

XIII. Election costs

Article 106.

In order to obtain funds for functioning of the bodies for carrying out the election, funds for the preparation of the electoral material and the funds for covering other expenses of election conducting a Fund shall be created, whose account is overseen by the federation Treasury.

The funds cited in paragraph 1. hereabove shall be created from the revenues obtained from a 5% sales and service tax, which the competent financial transactions administration shall separate from the tax funds before they are divided among the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the member Republic.

The funds cited in paragraph 1. shall be determined by the Federal Government according to standards determined by the Federal Electoral Commission.

The Federal Government shall determine the period of time in which the funds cited in paragraph 1 hereabove shall be given to the Fund, determine the way of their use and control of its use.

The unused funds shall be transferred from the Fund to the Federal budget.

Article 107.

The demand for awarding funds to the Federal Electoral Commission shall be filed by the electoral commission together with the specifications of the total costs.

The funds paid as payments for the work of the persons in the bodies for carrying out the election shall be fee and tax free.

Article 108.

Political parties shall themselves obtain funds for electoral propaganda and other electoral activities. Electoral list submitters, and candidates may collect donations for covering costs.

Part of the funds for participation of all electoral list submitters in the electoral campaign shall be obtained by the Fund.

The funds cited in paragraph 2. hereabove shall be distributed according to standards that shall be determined by the Federal Electoral Commission.

Should the electoral list be rejected or denied the list submitter shall return the funds received from the Fund.

Article 109.

Elected representative who was proposed by a group of citizens and political party for the elected representative from the list of that political party shall be awarded a single payment which shall be determined by the Federal Assembly.

XIV. Penal provision

Article 110.

Sentence of up to one year imprisonment shall be decreed for the following criminal act:

            1) the one who in the intent of preventing another person to vote for federal representatives, illegally does not register that person in the voters’ register, or erases him/her from the register;

            2) the one who by force, serious threat, bribe or any other means forces or influences another person not to vote, or to vote for or against a certain electoral list, on the election for the federal representatives.

Should the act cited in paragraph 1. hereabove be committed by a member of the Federal Electoral Commission, a member of a electoral unit electoral commission, member of a polling board, or any other person who has a duty in regard with the election for federal representatives, that person shall be punished by a 3 months to 3 years imprisonment.

Article 111.

Fine or 1 year imprisonment shall be decreed for the following criminal act:

            1) the one who, after the election for the federal representatives holds the voter responsible for voting, demands of him/her to state how he/she voted, or why he/she did not vote;

            2) the one who votes instead of another voter under his/her name, in the election for the federal representatives, or on the same election votes more than once;

            3) the one who, on the election for the federal representatives, destroys, damages, seizes, or conceals, a used ballot, electoral document or any object intended for the use in the election or the vote.

Should the act cited in paragraph 1. hereabove be committed by a member of the Federal Electoral Commission, a member of a electoral unit electoral commission, member of a polling board, or any other person who has a duty in regard with the election for federal representatives, that person shall be punished by a 3 months to 3 years imprisonment.

Article 112.

The person who violates the secrecy of ballot in the election for the federal representatives shall be fined or sentenced up to six months imprisonment for that criminal act.

Should the act cited in paragraph 1. hereabove be committed by a member of the Federal Electoral Commission, a member of a electoral unit electoral commission, member of a polling station, or any other person who has a duty in regard with the election for federal representatives, that person shall be punished by up to 3 years of imprisonment.

Article 113.

A member of the Federal Electoral Commission, a member of the electoral unit electoral commission, a member of the polling board, or any other person who has a duty in regard with the election for federal representatives shall be punished by up to 3 years imprisonment, for the criminal act of changing the number of votes by adding or deducting the number of ballots or votes during counting, or announcing the election result that does not correspond to the conducted vote .

XV. Transitory and closing provision

Article 114.

A period of no less than 45 days and no more than 90 days may pass from the moment the first premature election is called until it is conducted.

Article 115.

The Federal Assembly of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia shall nominate the members of the Federal Electoral Commission within seven days of coming into force of this Law, and the members of the electoral unit electoral commissions within seven days of coming into force of the Law on Electoral Units for the Elections for the Federal Representatives to the Council of Citizens of the Federal Assembly.

The Federal Electoral Commission shall adopt the enactments prescribed by this Law within ten days of the nomination of its members.

Article 116.

In the course of the first premature election for the representatives to the Council of Citizens, in the sense of this Law, citizens of the member republics of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia shall be deemed a citizen of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Citizens of Yugoslavia who are at least 18 years of age, have civil capacity, and have the residence in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia at least six months before coming into force of this Law, shall also have the right to elect representatives in the first premature election.

Article 117.

The funds cited in Articles 106, 108 and 109 of this Law for conducting of the premature election in 1992 shall be provided in the amount of 600 000 000 dinars.

As part of the funds cited in paragraph 1. hereabove for the financing of the expenses cited in Article 108 of this Law the funds shall be provided in the amount of 5 000 net monthly salaries in the economy of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from month preceding the month in which the premature election was called, for which official data has been published.

The funds cited in paragraph 2. hereabove shall be divided among the electoral list submitters in a electoral unit in such a manner that shall ensure:

            1) one third for the political party that nominates no less than 75% of the candidates or group of citizens that nominates no less than 50% of the total number of representatives elected in the electoral unit, as an advance payment upon registering an electoral list;

            2) the funds cited in item 1. hereabove granted to one political party shall be increased by 20% for each additional party in a coalition, should more than one political party be the submitter of the electoral list;

            3) the remaining funds shall be awarded to the verified electoral list submitters in proportion to the total number of registered candidates.

Article 118.

In the course of the first premature election for the representatives to the Council of Citizens the general supervision of the actions of the political parties, candidates and public media during the electoral activities shall be conducted by the supervising board.

The supervising board consists of seven members nominated by the Federal Assembly on the proposal of the Federal Government.

The members of the supervising board shall elect a president among themselves, by secret vote.

The supervising board shall:

            1) observe the electoral activities and point out potential irregularities in the actions of political parties, candidates, media, and other participants in the electoral process;

            2) recommend measures in order to obtain the respect of the equality of the candidates in the presentation of their programs;

            3) address the public in order to protect the moral integrity of the candidates;

            4) warn of the actions of political parties, administrative bodies, candidates, and media which disturb the fairness of the electoral campaign, and endanger the equal rights of all candidates.

Should any of the participants by their actions in the electoral campaign appeal to violence, the spread of ethnic, religious or racial hatred, or endorse sexual inequalities, the supervising board shall upon receiving such information, without delay initiate the procedure before the competent authority.

Should the agreement cited in article 53 of this Law not be reached in the prescribed time, the supervising board cited in paragraph 1. hereabove shall determine the number and duration of broadcasts for the equal representation of the list submitters.

Article 119.

The Election for the federal representatives to the Council of Citizens of the Federal Assembly Law ("Official bulletin of the FRY", No. 1/92) shall be rendered invalid by coming into force of this Law.

This Law shall come into force on the day after it has been published in the "Official bulletin of the FRY".