Transparency Serbia: Issue of Campaigning by State Officials Remains Unresolved

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Transparency Serbia (TS) on Sept. 24 said the government’s Conclusion from Sept. 23 had been misinterpreted in terms that it banned state officials from political party promotions in their official capacity during an election campaign.

“The government’s Conclusion can be useful as it reminds ‘forgetful’ public officials of what is not allowed and their obligations already defined by law… Stricter rules could be introduced by law, while the opportunity to do so, in line with the amendments drawn up by TS, was missed in May this year when the Anti-Corruption Law was adopted,” it is said in a news release from TS.

According to TS, the main remaining issue with campaigning by state officials was the fact that they perform activities which ensure media coverage outside the determined time slots for media promotion of election candidates, although there is no realistic need for such coverage nor does it represent the fulfillment of their legal obligations, such as promotional tours or attending opening ceremonies for new schools, hospitals, households, construction sites, and similar.

TS further said that the Conclusion had not been published on the government’s website, but only summarized in a news release, stating that officials shall not use public meetings for the promotion of their parties or urge voters not to vote for their political opponents, nor shall use public resources for the promotion of their political parties.

TS also stressed that “aside from various forms of abuse of public resources mentioned in the Conclusion, there exist many other forms of abuse in practice, i.e. announcing party events and publishing statements of state officials on official Internet sites of public institutions and social networks they use.”

TS further said that the government recommended to public officials that all activities related to the promotion of political parties and an election campaign should not be carried out during “the working time of the organization where they work.”

“This Conclusion could produce benefits as the time period when an election campaign can be conducted is not defined at present,” TS said in the release, adding that breaches of this rule and consequent sanctions should be defined by law.