Home > 2.1 The competent bodies and their tasks > SERBIA - Joint Recommendations on the Laws on Parliamentary, Presidential and Local Elections and Electoral Administration
 
 
 
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Paragraph 18
 
18.  In past elections the REC has set up a number of ad hoc "working groups" which, in effect, provided an intermediary level of co-ordination between the REC and the PBs. However, it is important that this situation is formally established in the law. Amendments are needed to ensure that the powers, functions and responsibilities of the intermediary electoral commissions are clearly defined, the commissions are properly accountable and work with adequate transparency safeguards, and that there is broad political participation and/or monitoring of their work. This provides a greater degree of political pluralism by creating the possibility for multi-party representation at all levels of the election administration since ad hoc “working groups” do not currently have to satisfy the law’s requirements for extended political party membership of election commissions. The OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission recommend that the law be amended to include intermediary electoral commissions with adequate transparency safeguards and broad political participation.