III. DISCUSSION OF THE DRAFT NATIONAL ELECTIONS LAW AND THE DRAFT ELECTION COMMISSIONS LAW

M. Election campaign provisions

Article 27(1) also requires that “copies of printed and other campaigning materials should be submitted to the Central Election Commission”. There appears to be no legitimate reason to establish the Central Election Commission as an archive for copies of campaign material. If this provision is intended to require prior approval of campaign materials by the Central Election Commission, then it would represent excessive control over campaigning and would be disproportionate. The Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR recommend that Article 27(1) be revised to respect the right to freedom of expression through campaigning and to remove the burden placed on the CEC to be a campaign material archive.