DECREE

THE PROCLAMATION OF THE LAW ON CHANGES AND ADDITIONS

TO THE LAW ON THE ELECTION OF FEDERAL DEPUTIES TO THE CHAMBER OF CITIZENS IN THE FEDERAL ASSEMBLY

The Proclamation of the Law on Changes and Additions to the Law on the Election of Federal Deputies to the Chamber of Citizens in the Federal Assembly, is based on the [Law's] adoption by the Federal Assembly, at the session of the Chamber of Citizens on July 24, 2000, and the session of the Chamber of Republics on July 24, 2000.

Decree No. 250

July 24, 2000, Belgrade

President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Slobodan Milosevic, [signature]

 

THE LAW

ON CHANGES AND ADDITIONS

TO THE LAW ON THE ELECTION OF FEDERAL DEPUTIES

TO THE CHAMBER OF CITIZENS IN THE FEDERAL ASSEMBLY

Article 1

The Law on the Election of Federal Deputies to the Chamber of Citizens in the Federal Assembly ("Official Gazette of the FRY", No. 57/93), Article 7, is changed to read as follows:

"Funds for holding elections are provided in the federal budget.

Funds for financing election activities are distributed to the submitters of election lists in proportion to the number of received mandates, in accordance with measures established by the Federal Election Commission."

 

Article 2

In Article 21, the number "60" is replaced by "45".

Article 3

Article 22, Paragraph 3, is changed to read as follows:

"The mandate is confirmed within 15 days of the publication of final election results."

Article 4

Article 25 is changed to read as follows:

"Election implementing bodies work both in a permanent and an expanded composition.

Election implementing bodies function on an expanded basis starting with the day of establishing the composition until the announcement of final election results.

Election implementing bodies make decisions based on a majority vote within permanent or expanded compositions."

Article 5

Article 30, Paragraph 1, is changed to read as follows:

"The permanent composition of the Federal Election Commission consists of the President, the Secretary, and seven members appointed by the Federal Assembly. The expanded composition includes up to eight representatives of election list submitters who nominated candidates for deputies in the member republic as a separate electoral unit, i.e., in at least two thirds of the electoral units in the member republic whose election lists are supported by the highest number of voter signatures, with the provision that the member republic has at least two representatives. The representative of the federal organization responsible for official statistics is appointed to the Federal Election Commission."

Paragraph 4 is changed to read as follows:

"Members of the Federal Election Commission and their deputies are appointed from ranks of the judiciary and eminent legal experts."

Article 6

Following Article 30, a new Article 30a is added, which reads as follows:

"Article 30a

The Federal Election Commission, in its permanent composition, is a unique body implementing direct elections for federal deputies in both Federal Assembly Chambers and for the Federal President."

Article 7

Following Article 32, a new Article 32a is added, which reads as follows:

"Article 32a

The Federal Election Commission has general oversight of election activities of all bodies implementing elections.

In fulfilling general oversight responsibilities from Paragraph 1 of this Article and Article 19 of this Law, the Federal Election Commission may designate a body to perform tasks not performed by a body established by this Law, or take direct responsibility for the performance of those tasks."

Article 8

Article 33, Paragraph 1, is changed to read as follows:

"The permanent composition of the election commission consists of the President, the Secretary, and seven members appointed by the Federal Election Commission. The expanded composition can include up to eight representatives of election list submitters who nominated at least three fourths of the deputy candidates from the total number of deputies being elected in that electoral unit, and whose election lists are supported by the highest number of voter signatures in the electoral unit."

Paragraph 2 is changed to read as follows:

"The President and members of the election commission and their deputies are appointed from the ranks of the judiciary and eminent legal experts."

Article 3 is deleted, and Articles 4, 5, and 6 become Articles 3, 4, and 5.

Article 9

In Article 34, Paragraph 1, subparagraph 4, the word "elects" is replaced by the word "appoints".

Article 10

In Article 35, after Paragraph 6, a new Paragraph 7 is added which reads as follows:

If simultaneous elections are held for the deputies in the Chamber of Republics in the Federal Assembly, deputies in the Chamber of Citizens in the Federal Assembly, and the Federal President, the function of election boards is assumed by the same election boards appointed by the authorized bodies for conducting elections. The election board is made up of one representative of election list submitters for both the Chamber of Republics and the Chamber of Citizens in the Federal Assembly, and the submitter of the nomination for the Federal Presidential candidate, who satisfies at least one of the requirements for entering their representatives into election boards, established by regulations for implementing those elections."

Article 11

In Article 36, Paragraph 3, the word "two" is added after the word "determines".

Article 12

In Article 38, following Paragraph 1, new Paragraphs 2 and 3 are added:

"The nomination representing a political party or a citizen group from Paragraph 1 of this Article may be only submitted by a person authorized by that political party or citizen group.

The nomination representing a coalition of parties from Paragraph 1 of this Article may be only submitted by an authorized person."

Article 13

Article 39, Paragraph 2, is changed to read as follows:

"One election list may include at most the total number of candidates being chosen from that electoral unit, and at least half that number."

After Paragraph 2, a new Paragraph 3 is added, which reads as follows:

"An individual may not be simultaneously a candidate for a federal deputy in the Chamber of Republics and a deputy in the Chamber of Citizens, or a candidate for the Federal President, when those elections are held at the same time."

Article 14

In Article 46, Paragraph 2, following subparagraph 4, new subparagraphs 5 and 6 are added:

"5) Candidate's certificate of Yugoslav citizenship.

6) Authorization of the person submitting the election list."

Article 15

In Article 49, following Paragraph 2, a new Paragraph 3 is added:

"Every election list submitter has the right, within 48 hours of the day of the announcement of the collective election list, to inspect all submitted election lists as well as all their supporting documentation."

In the final Paragraph 3, which becomes Paragraph 4, the number "15" is replaced by "20".

Article 16

In Article 51, Paragraph 2 is deleted.

Article 17

In Article 55, Paragraph 2 is deleted.

Article 18

In Article 58, following Paragraph 4, a new Paragraph 5 is added:

"The use of pagers, cell phones and other communications equipment is forbidden at polling places."

Paragraphs 5, 6, and 7 become Paragraphs 6, 7, and 8 and in the new Paragraph 7, the number "5" is replaced by "6".

Article 19

In Article 59, Paragraph 2, the period is replaced by a comma and the following words are added: "with the provision that the election board previously ascertains the number and identities of those voters."

Article 20

In Article 63, following Paragraph 3, new Paragraphs 4 and 5 are added:

"Ballots are printed at the same location on paper protected with a watermark.

The election list submitter submits to the Federal Election Commission the name of the person authorized to oversee the printing, counting, packing, and distribution of ballots to bodies authorized to conduct the election."

Paragraph 4 becomes Paragraph 6.

Article 21

In Article 70, Paragraph 1, the phrase "and submits the information on voting" is deleted.

Article 22

In Article 75, Paragraph 1, the words "its member" are replaced by the words "its members".

In Paragraph 2, the word "member" is replaced by the word "members".

In Paragraph 3, lines two and six, the word "member" is replaced by "members", and the words "he seals" by words "they seal".

In Paragraph 4, the word "member" is replaced by "members", and the words "he submits" by the words "they submit".

Article 23

Following Article 77, a new Article 77a is added:

"Article 77a:

Voters who on election day, due to justifiable reasons, are unable to vote at the polling place where they are registered, as well as voters who are unable to vote before an election board at that location, may vote at a location and before an election board determined in accordance with Article 32a of this Law."

Article 24

In Article 83, following Paragraph 3, new Paragraphs 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are added:

"Election board records are entered onto the prescribed form, which is printed in 6 copies.

The first copy, with confirmed election materials, is submitted to the election commission.

The second copy of the records is displayed at the polling place for public viewing.

The remaining four copies of the records are submitted immediately to representatives of election list submitters who secured the highest number of votes at that polling place, if election list submitters have a representative in the election board; if they don't, the representative of the election list submitter can receive a copy of the election commission records during the subsequent 12 hours.

Other election list submitters have the right, within 12 hours of submitting materials from the polling place to the election commission, to receive a Xerox copy of the polling place records from the election commission, approved by the election commission."

Article 25

In Article 90, following Paragraph 2, new Paragraphs 3, 4, and 5 are added:

"The election list submitter, at the latest ten days after the publication of final election results, will submit to the Federal Election Commission the information regarding which candidates from the election list have received the deputy mandates, in accordance with this Law.

If the election list submitter does not submit the information, the Federal Election Commission will notify him in writing that he is obligated to do so in the next five days, with a warning of the consequences of non-compliance.

If the election list submitter does not submit the information during the additional time allotted, the Federal Election Commission will make a special decision to distribute all the acquired mandates from that election list to other candidates based on their standing on the list. Objections or appeals to this decision will not be allowed.

 Article 26

In Article 94, Paragraph 3 is deleted.

Paragraph 4 becomes Paragraph 3.

Article 27

In Article 98, Paragraph 2, the passage: "who is next in order on the election list, but for whom the list submitter did not receive a mandate", is replaced by "who is determined by the election list submitter".

Paragraph 4 is deleted.

Paragraph 5 becomes Paragraph 4.

In paragraph 6, which becomes Paragraph 5, the entry "2, 3, and 4", is replaced by the entry "2 and 3"?

Article 28

Article 106 is changed to read as follows:

"Funds for the work of election implementing bodies, funds for the preparation of election materials, and funds for covering other expenses in connection with implementing elections, are provided from the federal budget."

 

Article 29

In Article 108, Paragraphs 2 and 4, the word "fund" in the appropriate [grammatical] case is replaced with "federal budget" in the appropriate [grammatical] case.

Article 30

In Article 109, "Federal Assembly" is replaced by "Federal Election Commission".

Article 31

This Law goes into effect the day after its publication in the "Official Gazette of the FRY".

385.

On the basis of Article 96, subparagraph 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, I

DECREE

THE PROCLAMATION OF THE LAW ON THE ELECTION OF FEDERAL DEPUTIES

TO THE CHAMBER OF REPUBLICS IN THE FEDERAL ASSEMBLY

The Proclamation of the Law on the Election of Federal Deputies to the Chamber of Republics in the Federal Assembly is based on the [Law's] adoption by the Federal Assembly, at the session of the Chamber of Citizens on July 24, 2000, and the session of the Chamber of Republics on July 24, 2000.

Decree No. 251

July 24, 2000, Belgrade

President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Slobodan Milosevic, [signature]