In less than a year and a half, the citizens of North Macedonia elected their representatives three times: the President, members of Parliament, and local authorities. What represented a democratic privilege for the electorate posed new challenges and legal battles for institutions and independent participants in the elections. For international observers, these elections again highlighted shortcomings and sent a clear signal regarding the need to improve electoral legislation.
Over the past two decades, the Electoral Code has been amended more than thirty times.
Although international recommendations for electoral reform suggest that changes should be initiated immediately after elections and finalized at least one year before the next electoral cycle, Macedonian practice shows that amendments are most often made reactively and immediately before elections.
This approach to intervening in electoral legislation is problematic because it leaves room for numerous legal gaps, which later create challenges for both electoral institutions and independent candidates participating in the process.
Reactive and non-inclusive legislative changes limit the ability of institutions to adapt in a timely manner and to identify potential shortcomings or inconsistencies, creating a risk of errors during the conduct of elections. As a result, public trust and the legitimacy of the electoral process are undermined, and amendments are perceived as imprudent and driven by current political interests.
The announcement of a new law and the timely implementation of comprehensive electoral reforms are certainly welcome. Therefore, we are submitting our comments and recommendations in a timely manner, which should be taken into consideration during the preparation of the new legislative solution, intending to ensure electoral rules that reflect transparency and integrity, facilitate processes for institutions, and provide equal conditions for all participants in the competition for gaining power.
Read more in the document:
Toward better electoral cycles: Proposals for the quality improvement of electoral legislation
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