9

(1) For monitoring and publication of the election campaign expenses pursuant to the provisions of the subject Federal Act, a commission (hereinafter referred to as the Commission) shall be set up with the Federal Ministry of the Interior in order to monitor the election campaign expenses. It shall be set up at the latest by the eighth day after the publication of the regulation on ordering the 1975 National Council elections and shall be convened for its constituent meeting within another eight days.
(2) The members of the commission shall be appointed by the Federal Government in accordance with the following provisions:
a) seven members shall be appointed, pro rata to their number of seats held in the National Council, on the basis of proposals of the political parties represented in the main committee of the National Council, with the proviso that each party represented in the main committee of the National council shall be represented in the commission with at least one member;
b) if pursuant to subpara 1 a political party is authorized to nominate more than one member for the commission, at least one such member must be a member of the judiciary;
c) all members pursuant to subparas a and b shall by common consent submit nominations for three further members from among experts of the advertising industry;
d) if no nomination by common consent pursuant to subpara c materializes, a list of members shall be prepared from among experts of the advertising industry, based on the principle that each party represented in the main committee of the National Council may nominate such number of experts as it is entitled to delegate to the commission pursuant to subpara a; from this list three experts will be chosen by drawing lots.
(3) The Federal Minister of the Interior or a substitute appointed by him for this purpose shall chair the commission; this representative also need not be a member of the commission; the chairman is not entitled to vote.
(4) Unless provided otherwise hereinafter, the commission adopts resolutions with a simple majority. There shall be a quorum in the commission if at least half of the members entitled to vote are present.
(5) During its first meeting the commission shall adopt internal rules on basis of a draft to be presented by the Federal Minister of the Interior. Resolutions to this effect require a majority of two thirds of the votes.
(6) All members of the commission are independent in exercising their office and not bound by any instructions and orders; the office of a member of the commission is an honorary position, the members are, however, entitled to reimbursement of reasonable travelling and cash expenses. Any decision of the commission is not subject to repeal or modification by way of administrative procedure.
(7) The term of office of the commission shall last until expiry of the periods of time pursuant to § 10, unless an objection pursuant to § 10 has been raised, in which case the term shall end on the day on which the commission has taken a final decision regarding the objection.
(8) With a two thirds majority the commission may adopt a resolution to the effect that pre-advisory committees be installed for certain matters. At least one member of each political party represented in the commission pursuant to para 2 subpara a shall be represented in any such committee.