OSCE: Unequal Election Opportunities in Hungary
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Loading... - Buchra Issawi
- 24 Mar 2022
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The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) concluded in a 16-page document that many cases submitted to the National Election Committee (NVB) concerned the misuse of public positions and resources for campaigns; however, in all such cases, the NVB found no violations.
The report notes that the relevant law on campaign finances does not regulate spending by third parties who play an active role in the campaign.
The report also mentions that concerns have been raised by the UN and Council of Europe human rights envoys regarding the restrictive media legal framework, the increased concentration of media ownership, and a distortion of the advertisement market which is dominated by government commercials.
According to the report, there is no limit on the amount of money that can be spent on the campaign of the referendum concurrent with the elections, and initiated by the government. In addition, spending on referendum campaigns is not limited or subject to any disclosure or reporting requirements.
A number of interlocutors who consulted with OSCE expressed concerns that this lack of regulation facilitates the government’s considerable spending on the referendum campaign.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have expressed concerns about a significant disparity in the allocation of billboard space for campaign posters.
The organization also noted that a recent change in the definition of residency may result in tactical migration of voters to closely contested constituencies closer to election day. Read More...
