Prohibition on bribery of voters

1. From the start of an electoral political campaign, i.e. from the announcement of the date of poll until polling day and also on polling day, it shall be prohibited to directly or indirectly buy votes; to induce voters to attend the poll and/or to vote for or against one or another person to be nominated as a candidate, for or against a candidate or a list of candidates, by offering gifts, services or other rewards; to promise to reward voters for their vote after the election with the view to affecting the will of the voters with regard to certain political organisations, candidates or persons to be nominated as candidates and thus hinder citizens from exercising their right to vote.

2. Distribution of campaign material (an action programme or an election programme, leaflets, calendars, postcards, and stickers of biographical or other type of information) shall not be considered as bribery of voters.

3. During the period of their activities, constituency electoral committees and municipal electoral committees shall, under the procedure laid down by the Central Electoral Commission, investigate the facts of bribery of voters. Decisions of the constituency electoral committees and municipal electoral committees may be appealed against to the Central Electoral Commission. The Central Electoral Commission shall publish a decision concerning the established fact of bribery of voters on its website together with a pledge by the candidate who has violated this Article to comply with the prohibition on bribery of voters. The recognition of the facts of bribery of voters as gross infringement of this Code shall entail the consequences defined in this Code and other laws.