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(1) A party must have written statutes and a written program. The regional branches shall conduct their affairs on the basis of their own statutes, unless specified otherwise in the statutes of their immediately superior regional branch.
(2) The statutes must contain provisions on:
1. The name and any acronym used, the registered seat and the field of activities of the party.
2. The admission and resignation of members.
3. The rights and duties of members.
4. Permissible disciplinary measures against members and their exclusion from the party (Article 10, paragraphs (3) to (5)).
5. Permissible disciplinary measures against regional branches.
6. The general organization of the party.
7. Composition and powers of the executive committee and other bodies.
8. Matters which may only be decided at members' and delegates' assemblies pursuant to Article 9.
9. The preconditions, form and time limit for convening members' and delegates' assemblies and the official recording of the resolutions passed.
10. Regional branches and bodies which are authorized to submit (sign) nominations for elections to parliaments insofar as there are no relevant legal provisions.
11. A ballot among members and the procedure to be adopted when the party convention passes a resolution to dissolve the party or a regional branch or to merge with another party or parties pursuant to Article 9 (3). The resolution shall be deemed confirmed,
amended or rescinded according to the result of the ballot.
12. Form and content of a financial structure which shall comply with the rules laid down in
Section V of this law.
(3) The executive committee must inform the Federal Returning Officer of:
1. The party's statutes and program.
2. The names and functions of the members of the executive committee of the party and its Land branches.
3. The dissolution of the party or a Land branch.
Amendments to Sentence 1, nos. 1 and 2 above must be notified by 31 December of the given calendar year. The relevant documents are held by the Federal Returning Officer and made available to the public for perusal and inspection. Copies of the documents must be provided free of charge on request.
(4) For parties whose organizations are confined to the territory of a Land (Land parties), the provisions set out in this law for parties as a whole shall apply to the Land branches.