E. Rules on the financing of political parties

5. Spending limits and use of resources

The draft Act does not regulate the use of public resources during elections, such as, e.g. television and radio stations, newspapers and news portals. To ensure that all parties may campaign on a level playing field, it would be recommended to include equitable provisions on the use by the political parties of these resources in the draft Act (in addition to the principle of equal treatment of political parties in Article 5), or in other relevant legislation. Public broadcasting legislation[1] should ensure compliance with the 1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document, which requires participating States to provide “political parties or other organisations with the necessary legal guarantees to enable them to compete with each other on a basis of equal treatment before the law and by the authorities”.[2]

[1]Malta has a Broadcasting Act, Cap. 350, L.N. 240 of 2011.

[2]1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document, par. 7.6. See also the Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters, I.2.3.a.