Numerous electoral systems forbid anyone who has certain economic relations or relations of interest with public administrations from standing as a candidate--licensees of public services, contractors, etc.
This prohibition is designed to protect the neutrality with which officials should act, that is, avoiding situations in which a conflict of personal interest of the person elected and the area of decisions for the public interest he may be involved in could arise because of his position. This could include decisions on the renewal of certain concessions, decisions regarding which company a public service or contract should be awarded to, urban reclamation of land in which a land owner or a contractor elected as mayor may intervene, etc. Examples incorporated constitutionally are abundant.
Of a rather doubtful nature, but closer to these cases of economic interest than sanctions for criminal offences, is the prohibition of debtors of public
finance from standing for office (or, in the formula of the constitution of Honduras, its bad debtors).
