What Hasn't Been Done Prior to the Elections in Zaječar and Kosjerić

There are no new restrictions on officials' campaigns, measures to protect against the misuse of public resources, or fairer rules on campaign financing for the elections in Zaječar and Kosjerić.

With the announcement of elections for councillors in Zaječar and Kosjerić,^{[1] the}  election campaign began in these two municipalities according to the law. While it is completely unknown who will participate in these elections at all, it is already known which important issues related to the election campaign have not been regulated, and had to be, in order for the election race to be more equal than the previous ones.

Contrary to the recommendations given by the ODIHR, it will not be prohibited in this election campaign for local officials to organize promotional events in the next two months, for municipalities to rent billboards to promote their successes or for them to implement social programs during the campaigning period. Similarly, there is no restriction for republican officials to “remember” schools, hospitals, sports clubs, tourist facilities and entrepreneurs that should be visited in Zaječar, Kosjerić and the surrounding villages during this period. As Transparency Serbia has shown, during the previous elections in these two municipalities (2021), the number of ministerial visits was as 37.6 times more often than outside of the campaign^[2].

The main recommendation of the ODIHR after the June 2024 local elections was to "take measures to ensure the separation of state and party, as well as the impartiality of the public administration during the campaign". This recommendation is preceded by the statement that "party lists throughout the country bore the name of the President of the Republic", and that "the President and leading government officials often appeared on election posters, in television spots and at election rallies, with significant media attention and promotion of their achievements"^[3].

The fact that there are no new legal restrictions does not mean that the parties and officials in power must continue with the current practice. On the contrary, their actions in this campaign will best show whether there is a readiness to improve the conditions for any future elections and thus to meet the recommendations of the ODIHR.

The importance of these issues is all the greater because 1,284,000 dinars have been allocated from the budget of the city of Zaječar for all participants in the election campaign, and only 350,000 dinars in Kosjerić. If the number of electoral lists were the same as in 2021, the submitters of the lists in Zaječar (nine lists) would receive 57,000 dinars each before the elections, and in Kosjerić (five lists), 28,000 dinars each (the rest of the money is allocated later, based on electoral success). The cost of the election campaign, also contrary to the recommendation of the ODIHR, is not limited. It is obvious that in such a situation, no local group would be able to compete with parliamentary parties that receive significant amounts from the republican budget, and especially not with the electoral list that would be supported by the government with its logistics^[4].      

^[1] http://www.parlament.gov.rs/%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B0_%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B5_%D1%81%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BF%D1%88%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B5.50904.43.html

^[2] https://transparentnost.org.rs/sr/aktivnosti-2/saoptenja/11913-vlada-u-funkcionerskoj-kampanji-za-izbore-u-kosjericu-i-zajacaru

^[3] https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/7/5/576745.pdf

^[4] https://transparentnost.org.rs/images/Novac_iz_budzeta_za_parlamentarne_stranke_.pdf