13. Is there a ban on the use of state resources in favour or against a political party or candidate?

Serbia

Serbia

Answer
Yes
Source

"Election campaign expenditure are costs related to all activities regarded election activities in terms of the fifth indent of article 2 hereof.
Political entities are prohibited from using, for the conduct of activities within the election campaign, funds from the budget of the Republic of Serbia, the budget of the autonomous province and the budget of the local self-government unit, which candidates in elections and on electoral lists have at their disposal as public officials, civil servants, officers in autonomous province and local self-government, or as directly elected persons, for the purposes of performing their official duties.


Political entities are prohibited from financing humanitarian activities for the conduct of activities within the election campaign.
Political entities are prohibited from using other public resources during the election campaign, except for public services and goods allocated in accordance with article 6, paragraph 2 hereof, including official premises, vehicles, websites and office furniture, equipment and supplies of state, provincial and local authorities, public institutions and public enterprises, excluding public officials who use public resources for the protection of personal safety, if such use of public resources is stipulated by regulations in this area or by a decision of the services that take care of the safety of officials.


A political entity may use the premises and services of bodies and organizations referred to in article 6, paragraph 1 hereof for the election campaign, if those premises and services are available under equal conditions to all political entities, based on publicly available decisions of those bodies and organizations, and provided that those bodies and organizations can ensure the use of premises and services during the election campaign to every political entity that has timely expressed interest in their use.
Funds raised from public and private sources, credits and loans for financing election campaign expenditure may be used only for activities specified in paragraph 1 of this article.
Rules and regulations governing action of media during election campaigns shall apply to each time slot purchase in the media.
Political entities which distribute advertising material/brochures/leaflets/publications are required to imprint on such material precise data on the name of the entity that provides services of advertising material/brochures/leaflets/publications production.
The advertisement and any other type of advertising material used in the election campaign must contain the identification of the political entity participating in the election campaign." 
Source: Article 23 Law on financing political activities 2022.

Comment

Political entities are prohibited from using, for the conduct of activities within the election campaign, funds from the budget of the Republic of Serbia, the budget of the autonomous province and the budget of the local self-government unit, which candidates in elections and on electoral lists have at their disposal as public officials, civil servants, officers in autonomous province and local self-government, or as directly elected persons, for the purposes of performing their official duties. 

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