GONG is a

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

from

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

that oversees

elections in Croatia Regular elections in Croatia are mandated by the Constitution and legislation enacted by Parliament. The presidency, Parliament, county prefects and assemblies, city and town mayors, and city and municipal councils are all elective offices. Sinc ...

. They were formed in 1997 and the name GONG was an acronym of ' meaning "Citizens organize to oversee voting", but in 2000 the organization changed its name to simply GONG. Prior to the

local Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States * Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administrat ...

and the presidential elections in 1997, GONG was created at the initiative of the Coordination of organizations for the protection and promotion of human rights from across Croatia. However, the Election Commission of the Republic of Croatia did not allow GONG's observers access to the polling stations, saying their presence was not defined by the electoral law. The

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...

(OSCE) criticized the government for doing this and claiming it made the elections "free, but not fair". GONG and the

Croatian Helsinki Committee The Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights (CHC; hr, Hrvatski helsinški odbor, HHO) is an organisation founded to protect and promote human rights in Croatia. It was founded on 31 March 1993, initially as a branch of the International Hel ...

appealed to the

Croatian Constitutional Court The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Ustavni sud Republike Hrvatske) is an institution that acts as the interpreter and guardian of the Croatian Constitution and which monitors the conformity of laws with the Constitution as ...

, which responded positively the following year, after which they were allowed to monitor all later elections. GONG conducts

get out the vote "Get out the vote" or "getting out the vote" (GOTV) describes efforts aimed at increasing the voter turnout in elections. In countries that do not have or enforce compulsory voting, voter turnout can be low, sometimes even below a third of the ...

campaigns and promotes transparency in

political campaign A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen or referend ...

funding. The

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...

's Directorate-General for Enlargement's Civil Society Development conference recognized GONG as one of the main good governance and democratisation organizations in Croatia.

References

External links

* Elections in Croatia Anti-corruption non-governmental organizations Government agencies of Croatia 1997 establishments in Croatia Organizations established in 1997 {{Croatia-election-stub

References

Further reading

External links