During the expert visit, the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR were informed that  the ban of religious signs or designs in campaign materials reflects provisions of other legislation such as the Religious Denomination Act. According to interlocutors, the ban, as well as the ban of clergy from campaigning, also upholds the principle of secularism in the Constitution. Still, any restrictions on campaign material risks interfering with freedom of speech as enshrined in Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights. Restrictions must be provided by law, have a legitimate aim and be necessary and proportionate. As underlined in the long-standing case law of the European Court of Human Rights, there is little scope under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights for restrictions on political speech. Campaigning for elections constitutes a core aspect of political speech protected by Article 10 of the Convention.