Home > 2.6 Campaign finance > MONTENEGRO - Urgent Joint Opinion on the Draft Law on Elections of Members of Parliament and Councillors
 
 
 
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Paragraph 59
 

In response to previous ODIHR recommendations, the draft law introduces start and end dates for the election campaign. In supplementing previous regulations, which only addressed campaigning by registered contestants in media, the draft law now stipulates that the election campaign starts from the date of calling the elections and ends with the announcement of final election results. It also stipulates that “media presentation”, which is clarified to include both campaign events and campaigning in media, starts with the registration of candidate lists and ends 24 hours before election day. Clarity on the duration of the regulated campaign period is welcome as it provides a basis for ensuring the equality of conditions for contestants and for the oversight and enforcement of other regulations, including regarding campaign finance, restrictions on public officials to campaign, and access to paid advertising in media. The definition of election campaign is aligned across the electoral legal framework, including the Law on Financing of Political Entities and Election Campaigns, as a result of amendments adopted in December 2019, and is extended to a wide range of activities within the electoral process, improving its integrity and accountability. Both laws should also be harmonised concerning the length of the electoral campaign.