The nomination of candidates should be improved as several deficiencies occurred in the crucial period before the elections.

The nomination procedures should be changed in order to be coherent for all candidates, whether they are independent or of political parties.

Candidates eligible to stand for election in Jerusalem, but currently residing elsewhere, must be afforded proper access to the constituency.

Political parties should be required to declare their funding sources and how funds have been used. There should also be maximum limits for funding, donations received and funding expenditures.

The requirements for political parties to participate in future Legislative Elections should be lowered. All parties should be allowed to stand again in the electoral districts where they have won seats in previous elections. At a minimum, consideration should also be given to maintaining the thresholds applied for the 2004 elections.

The requirement for parties to provide lists of candidates twice the size of the councils to be elected is excessive. Such a requirement not only places an undue burden upon the parties but also on the election Committees considering the applications. It might be considered to have a requirement for a candidate list to have a smaller number of replacement candidates.

Compte tenu de l’importance du travail des partis et organisations politiques dans la vie démocratique d’un pays, des programmes pourront être développés pour la formation des membres des groupes et partis politiques dans l’organisation et le travail professionnel des partis politiques (programmation, campagne électorale, medias, financement, législation, etc.).

The political parties need to be supported, both in terms of material (computer, photocopy machine) and human resources (training, communication, information gathering). The EU should organise training programmes for the newly elected MPs, including helping them to get access to the Internet and to attend parliamentary debates in countries like Ghana, which has a vibrant Parliament.

To commit themselves to a process of political dialogue with a view to providing a more stable political environment prior to, during and after elections,

To maintain regular contact and liaison with GECOM with a view to improving relations.

The function of party representatives (personeros) during the electoral process will have to be reviewed and re-defined, in order to preclude any undue political influence. Their role ought to be defined as “party observers” (instead of “fiscales”), so as to make it impossible for them to participate directly in mesa activities and be informally co-opted as staff members.