Home > 6 Political parties > THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA - Joint Opinion on the Electoral Code as Amended on 9 November 2015
 
 
 
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Paragraph 25
 

Equal opportunity must be guaranteed for all parties and candidates in order to ensure a neutral attitude by state authorities.9 Paragraph 5.4 of the 1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document commits participating States to ensure “a clear separation between the State and political parties”, thereby protecting against the abuse of state resources by the ruling party or incumbent. Paragraph 3.3.1 of the Joint Guidelines for Preventing and Responding to the Misuse of Administrative Resources during the Electoral Period also provides that an “effective implementation of legislation requires that any restrictions on the use of administrative resources be implemented in good faith.” The amended Article 8 and the new Articles 8-b and c are welcome provisions as they strengthen the prohibition on the misuse of administrative resources for electoral campaigning, as well as intimidation of voters in line with prior OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission recommendations. However, the effectiveness of these new provisions will depend on their implementation and the necessary political will to enforce them.