Home > 2.5 Election campaign > GEORGIA - Joint Opinion on the Election Code
 
 
 
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Paragraph 51
 

Secondly, Article 761, par. 2, allows political officials[25] to combine campaign activities in support (or against) electoral subjects with the conduct of their official duties, thus blurring the line between the state and political parties. These provisions fall short of OSCE commitments[26]. Although Article 761 prohibits public servants (not political officials) from using their official position for purposes of campaign activities, in the 2008 parliamentary elections, the election administration and courts took a very narrow view of what constitutes campaigning, thus permitting public servants to engage in some level of campaigning while conducting official duties. In addition, during the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections there were instances of Government initiatives being combined with campaign activities.