The deadline by which political parties, coalitions and independent candidates and lists were to submit their candidacies for the local elections on October 17 to the Municipal Election Commissions (MECs) expired at midnight tonight. The State Election Commission (SEC) announced that it will announce the exact number of submitted candidate lists for the elections later today.
After the Municipal Election Commissions officially confirm all the candidacies by September 18 at the latest, they submit the lists to the SEC for a draw for their order, which should be held by September 23 at the latest. Candidates for mayors and councilor lists of one party or coalition receive the same ordinal number in all municipalities. After the draw, the confirmed candidate lists will be published on the SEC website and announced by the Election Boards.
The authorized representatives of all political parties, i.e. the submitters of lists of candidates for the local elections, are expected to sign a Code for Fair and Democratic Elections at the central level no later than September 23, organized by the State Election Commission in cooperation with the National Democratic Institute.
The Code of Fair and Democratic Elections, adopted by the SEC at its session on Friday, will oblige participants in the election process to respect the principles of democracy and good governance, in order to strengthen the fundamental values of democracy and trust in the electoral system. The Code of Fair and Democratic Elections will also oblige participants in the election process to abide by election-relevant laws and not to put pressure on voters, use hate speech or discriminate on the basis of gender.
