The main objective of the Elections Package project (April 2002 – May 2003) was the creation of recommendations for building a quality electoral legal framework according to EU standards. These recommendations were formed through public debates, cooperation with state institutions, academic community and experts, creation of experts‘ recommendations and public advocacy activities.
About Election Package Project – 2002/2003
The main objective of the Elections Package project (April 2002 – May 2003) was the creation of recommendations for building a quality electoral legal framework according to EU standards. These recommendations were formed through public debates, cooperation with state institutions, academic community and experts, creation of experts’ recommendations and public advocacy activities.
Goal
The long-term goal of the Project was to strengthen democracy, broaden civic rights and rule of law in Croatia. Creation of a quality electoral legal framework that regulates all aspects of free and fair elections would significantly improve citizens’/voters’/candidates’ legal security in the field of elections.
The Croatian electoral legal framework is not stable and not fully in accordance with EU standards. The lack of transparency and accuracy of some of the most important legal regulations, changes of laws 30 days prior to elections, no public disclosure about finances that are spent during election campaigns, election laws lacking important issues of technical character, problems of accuracy of voter registers etc. are just some of the problematic areas that are not regulated appropriately by Croatian Laws.
Implementation
In order to ensure the creation of a quality electoral legal framework according to EU standards, GONG organized five round tables with leading legal and political experts in the fields of election law, procedure and science, members of State Election Committee, members of Croatian Parliament, Supreme and Constitutional court judges, financial experts, media and campaign experts and members of political parties.
Each of the five round tables dealt with different issues (laws) that are most important for the Croatian electoral legal framework: voter registers, political parties, Election law, the State Election Committee as a permanent body and financing election campaigns. Prior to each round table, intensive research was conducted that included a comparative analysis of election laws in the European Union and the investigation of actual problems appearing in the field. GONG formed working groups of three members, each of them dealing with one of the five issues.
Recommendations were laid down through public debates and round tables. Recommendations were analyzed, edited and published. After publishing, recommendations were distributed to all state institutions in Croatia, as well as political parties, representatives of international community in Croatia, international partners and similar organizations and to all other interested parties.
In the long-term, GONG will continue the advocacy efforts of Project Election Package in order to maintain the creation of recommendations for improving and amending electoral legislation in the Republic of Croatia. This especially refers to adopting the Law on State Election Commission as a Permanent Body, Law on Financing Election Campaigns and amending Law on Voters Registers.
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Round table debate “Law on Voters’ Lists”
Recommendations (136 KB) – In Croatian
Summary (82 KB) – In English
Round table debate “Law on Political Parties”
Recommendations (216 KB) – In Croatian
Summary (78 KB) – In English
Round table debate “Election Law and State Election Commission as a Permanent Body”
Recommendations (345 KB) – In Croatian
Summary (94 KB) – In English
Round table debate “Financing Election Campaigns”
Recommendations (330 KB) – In Croatian
Summary (72 KB) – In English