OSCE/ODIHR final report on Slovakia’s parliamentary elections recommends reviewing limitations on right to stand and introducing provisions prohibiting misuse of administrative resources
The final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the 5 March 2016 parliamentary elections in Slovakia notes that the legal framework was amended, resulting in a number of improvements. It recommends, however, that limitations on the right to stand for election should be reviewed and that citizens should be allowed to run as independent candidates to ensure full compliance with OSCE commitments. The report recommends introducing provisions prohibiting the misuse of administrative resources.
The report, published on 22 April 2016, notes that the elections were held in a competitive and pluralistic environment where fundamental freedoms were respected. Stakeholders expressed confidence in most stages of the electoral process and voters had the opportunity to make an informed choice from a variety of political options.
Noting the establishment of the permanent State Commission to oversee the preparations for elections and the funding of political parties, the report recommends providing it with financial and human resources independent from the Ministry of Interior so that the Commission can fulfill its role as a fully independent body.
While recognizing that the system of political party and campaign financing was reviewed and a number of improvements were introduced, the report states that some campaign finance aspects remain to be addressed, including the ease of circumventing the expenditure ceiling through third parties and the absence of interim reporting by election contestants.
Noting a vibrant and pluralistic media environment, the report, however, mentions concerns over editorial independence due to the concentration of ownership of media outlets, as well as the criminalization of defamation and high damages in civil defamation cases. The report recommends decriminalizing defamation and introducing proportional legal limitations of damages in civil libel cases.
Additional recommendations in the report include introducing legal provisions to ensure full access to all stages of the electoral process to citizen and international observers and providing adequate time limits for election-related complaints to ensure the implementation of the right to effective remedy.