II. Comments on the text of the draft law

E. Financing of elections

The draft law does not provide for spending limits that party or single mandate candidate can utilise for the campaign. As noted by the United Nations Human Rights Committee in General Comment No. 25, “Reasonable limitations on campaign expenditure may be justified where this is necessary to ensure that the free choice of voters is not undermined or the democratic process distorted by the disproportionate expenditure on behalf of any candidate or party.” The lack of any campaign spending limits would tend to favour wealthy candidates and parties and could discourage underfunded parties and candidates from participating in the election. Consideration should be given to specifying a reasonable spending limit.