Skip navigation

0Meta Navigation

× Close search

Navigation

Home Resources Election-related Legal Opinions and Comments
Resources

Election-related Legal Opinions and Comments

Legal books line the shelves of ODIHR's Elections Department. (OSCE/Agnieszka Rembowska) Photo details
  • OSCE/ODIHR Comments on Consultation paper by the Electoral Commission on the cycle of Local Elections in England
    The U.K. Electoral Commission (“the Commission”) is an independent advisory body established under legislation enacted in the year 2000. The Commission has already undertaken a number of studies and published several major reports. In January 2003, the Commission was requested by the Government to review the cycle of local elections in England and identify options for simplifying the current cycle. The scope of the review includes elections for principal local authorities (including mayoral elections), the Greater London Authority and parish councils.
    Report
    2 October 2003
    View Now
  • Review of the Preliminary Assessment of the Draft Amended Election Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan
    This assessment of the draft amended Election Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan is offered by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR). The assessment is based on a translated text that was transmitted to ODIHR by the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Warsaw. Any legal review conducted on the basis of translated texts may be affected by the quality of the translation.
    Report
    19 September 2003
    View Now
  • OSCE/ODIHR Assessment of Draft Amendments to the Law on Elections to the Majilisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan
    This assessment reviews and comments on pending amendments to the law on elections to the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan. This assessment is based on an unofficial English translation of the amended Election Law, as reflected in 58 articles of current text on 31 pages and nine pages of amendments to 30 articles. The text reviewed has been provided by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (“OSCE/ODIHR”).
    Report
    17 September 2003
    View Now
  • Joint Final Assessment of the Election Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan
    After a prolonged genesis, the Electoral Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (below “the code”) was adopted by the national parliament (Milli Majlis) on 27 May 2003. The Code governs the conduct of referendums and parliamentary, presidential and municipal elections in one very substantial and comprehensive document. Over the last year, the Venice Commission and the OSCE-ODIHR (below “the two organisations”) engaged in an intensive dialogue with the drafters of the code in order to improve the successive drafts. Both organisations have produced a series of preliminary assessments suggesting a large number of recommendations.
    Report
    1 September 2003
    View Now
  • OSCE/ODIHR Review of Laws for Elections to the Legislative Bodies of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
    Elections to the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales are scheduled for 1 May of this year, and elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly are planned for 29 May. The OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights has been invited by the Government of the United Kingdom to organize an assessment mission for these elections. The elections to the legislative bodies of the devolved administrations will be held concurrently with local elections. This review of the laws of the United Kingdom governing elections to the legislative bodies of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is based primarily on an examination of the Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections) Order 20012 (“NI Elections Order”), as amended. The other statutes and materials listed in the references hereto have also been consulted.
    Report
    14 April 2003
    View Now
  • Review of the Draft Law on Political Parties in Romania
    A Draft Law on Political Parties (hereinafter “the Draft Law”) was adopted by the Parliament of Romania and has been submitted to the President for signature. The Draft Law would replace the current Law on Political Parties (1996), except for the chapter of the latter related to financing of political parties.
    Report
    13 December 2002
    View Now
  • Joint Revised Preliminary Assessment of the Revised Draft Election Code of 28 November 2002 in Azerbaijan
    At its 45th Plenary meeting (Venice, 15-16 December 2000), the Venice Commission approved the programme of co-operation with Azerbaijan which had been proposed by Messrs Khanlar Hajiyev, President of the Constitutional Court, Mr Ramiz Mehdiyev, Head of the Presidential Administration and Mr Safa Mirzoyev, Head of the Administration of Parliament (CDL (2001) 5). The main lines of the programme followed the mandate given to the Venice Commission by the Committee of Ministers (CM (2000) 170). In conformity with its mandate, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has been engaged in Azerbaijan since 1998 through the implementation of technical assistance projects mainly aiming at improving the election legislation in co-operation with the authorities and civil society of Azerbaijan.
    Report
    11 December 2002
    View Now
  • Joint Assessment of the Amendments to the Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia, Adopted in July 2002
    In November 2001, the Armenian authorities, through Mr Tigran Torossian, VicePresident of the National Assembly, asked the Venice Commission for an opinion on draft amendments to the electoral code. Two opinions were provided by Messrs. Bernard Owen and Tom Mackie (CDL (2002) 4 and 39). At its 50th plenary session (Venice, 8-9 March 2002), the Venice Commission instructed the Secretariat to prepare a consolidated opinion on the draft amendments to the electoral law of Armenia and to forward it to the Armenian authorities. This was done in April 2002 (CDL-AD (2002) 7).
    Report
    8 November 2002
    View Now