Topic Guide: Electoral Corruption

Best practice on preventing the abuse of public resources. Jenkins, M. 2017. Anti-Corruption Helpdesk Answer, Transparency International https://www.transparency.org/w...

The abuse of state resources should be understood broadly, and can encompass any use of publicly-owned resources that affects the operation of political parties or electoral campaigns in a way that favours one party or candidate at the expense of other contestants. As such, the abuse of state resources ranges from the use of government-owned infrastructure for electoral advantage to the manipulation of state-owned media and electoral laws. Although such practices are generally more visible during election campaigns and are typically an attempt to obtain an electoral advantage, the abuse of state resources can take place during non-election periods as well.

It is a challenging and difficult task to draw a firm line between legitimate functions and activities of public officials and illegitimate actions constituting the abuse of state resources. There are also considerable difficulties associated with identification, verification and substantiation of abuses.

This Helpdesk Answer considers various approaches to tackling the abuse of state resources and includes several comparative assessments. Election Management Bodies and their Composition. Martini, M., 2012. Anti-Corruption Helpdesk Answer, Transparency International www.transparency.org/files/con...  

This Helpdesk Answer discusses election management bodies and exhibits the different forms and characteristics that election management bodies can take. Election management bodies may be institutions which are fully independent from the executive government and composed of experts and/or partisan members, or governmental institutions which are part of the executive (for example, the Ministry of Interior). Election management bodies can also be a combination of the two systems. The integrity and impartiality of these bodies does not rely heavily on the composition of the body but rather on how procedures are set and decisions are made. The Helpdesk answer finds that irrespective of the model adopted, it is essential that electoral management bodies function according to the principles of transparency, accountability, professionalism and efficiency.