Parliament approved yesterday several changes in the Penal Code in order to root out vote buying practices and the involvement of the public administration in the elections.
The main amendments are as follows:
- Photographing, filming, or documenting a voting ballot comprises a criminal act that is punished with imprisonment from 6 months up to 3 years;
- Violating the rules that guarantee the secrecy of the vote by people charged with organizing the elections is a criminal offence that is punished with imprisonment from 6 months up to 3 years;
- Offering or giving money, promising employment, or other favors in exchange for a vote comprises a criminal act that is punished with imprisonment from 1 up to 5 years;
- Requesting or accepting money or material goods by the voters in exchange for a vote is punished with imprisonment from 1 up to 5 years;
- Obstructing the vote of a voter by taking or damaging the voter’s identification document is punished with imprisonment from 1 up to 4 years. When this is act is committed more than once, or against more than one voter, or when committed by electoral commissioners, the punishment is imprisonment from 3 up to 7 years;
- Abuse of police authority to influence the vote is punished with imprisonment from 1 up to 5 years;
- Abuse of the work place by civil servants in favor of a political party comprises a criminal act that is punished with imprisonment from 1 up to 3 years;
- The participation of civil servants in electoral campaign activities, in violation of the law, is punished with imprisonment from 6 months up to 3 years;
