10

(1) Pursuant to the detailed provisions of the Statutes, the competent bodies of the party shall freely decide on the admission of new members. It shall not be necessary to give any justification for refusing an application for membership. Neither general nor temporary embargoes on the admission of new members shall be permissible. Persons who have been deprived of their civil, political or rights to vote or be elected by virtue of an effective court ruling may not become members of a party.
(2) Members of the party and representatives in the party bodies shall have equal voting rights. Pursuant to the detailed provisions of the Statutes the right to vote may depend on the fulfillment of the members' obligation to pay membership fees. Any member may at any time resign from the party.
(3) The statutes shall contain provisions governing the following:
1. admissible disciplinary measures against members;
2. reasons for imposing such measures;
3. bodies within the party which may impose disciplinary measures.
If any member is discharged of party offices or deprived of qualification to hold them, such decision must be justified.
(4) A member may only be expelled from a party if he or she deliberately infringes the Statutes or acts in a manner contrary to the principles or internal rules of the party and thus seriously impairs its standing.
(5) The resolution on the expulsion shall be taken by the competent arbitration court in accordance with the arbitration rules. The right to appeal to a higher arbitration court shall be guaranteed. Decisions shall be justified in writing. In urgent and serious cases requiring immediate interference, the executive body of the party or a local organization may exclude a member from exercising his/her rights until such time as the arbitration court has reached a decision.