No 3: Electoral thresholds
Where applicable, the legal framework maintains a reasonable electoral threshold for parties and/or candidates to gain seats in parliament.
No 2: Party/candidate registration
The legal framework establishes clear and transparent procedures for registering political parties and candidates for elections, including reasonable eligibility criteria, consistent procedures and feasible deadlines.
No 1: Electoral system design
The design of the electoral system ensures that the allocation of parliamentary seats accurately reflects the proportion of votes received by political parties and candidates.
No 3: Access to information about the electoral process
Information about the electoral process is widely available, including as part of civic education programmes. Public authorities ensure that voters are aware of electoral procedures and have access to candidate lists and information. Information is available in the languages that are widely used in the country.
No 2: Electoral management body (EMB)
An EMB is tasked with ensuring the proper conduct of the electoral process. The EMB operates according to clearly defined and publicly available rules, and enjoys independence of decision-making and action. The EMB carries out its tasks impartially and transparently, and enjoys the trust and respect of the community.
No 1: Neutrality of public authorities
The legal framework guarantees the integrity and transparency of the entire electoral process, including sanctions for electoral fraud. The neutrality of public authorities in the electoral process is ensured by law and in practice.
No 3: Right to appeal
The legal framework guarantees the right to appeal regarding alleged violations of political and electoral rights to a competent and independent body. The appeal procedure, as well as the powers and responsibilities of the bodies involved, are clearly regulated. The time limits for lodging and deciding on appeals are reasonably short.
No 2: Right to join or form political parties
Individuals and groups have the right to join or form political parties in order to contest elections. Any exceptions to this right are non-discriminatory, consistent with international obligations, and clearly defined by law.
No 1: Right to stand for election
The legal framework establishes that every eligible citizen has the right to stand for election, including as an individual candidate and/or as a member of a political party.
No 3: Practice
In practice, elections take place regularly. A significant proportion of citizens participate in these elections. Elections are competitive and citizens’ fundamental rights are respected before, during and after election day.
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