Political parties continue not to publicise their financial reports

Political parties are said to have not continued to make public their financial reports, as is envisioned with the Law to fund political subjects.

Poor oversight and limited party transparency was criticised by other international organisations and civil society representatives in Kosovo.

Avoiding publishing sources of financing and financial circulation from representatives of civil society in Kosovo, it reportedly has more to do with that within these unknown finances of political parties there is something suspicious.

Arton Demhay from the Organisation for Democracy, Anti-Corruption and Dinjitie “Arise”, tells Radio Free Europe that financial reports of political parties continue to be closed and not published on their website.

He says the level of transparency and accountability faced with the financing of political parties is at zero point.

The “all of this is deliberately done because of the overall and research we've developed, it shows that political parties only spend the money they receive from Kosovo's budget, and that's created a clientistic connection between political parties and specific businesses that initially give to political parties, and then they get multiple by public tender”, says Demhaje.

Based on the Law on Financing Political Subjects, parties are obliged to publish each year the annual financial report, which should contain the balance of the situation, the profit and loss mirror, which shows all the revenues and spending of the party.

The annual financial report of the preliminary year should remain published at least a year on relevant official sites.

From the measurements and expenditures of political subjects made by non-governmental organisations Democracy Plus and the Organisation for Democracy, Anti-Corruption and Dinjitia “Hirri”, it is estimated that over 3m euros have spent political subjects during the campaign for early parliamentary elections last year.

Isuf Zana from the Democracy Plus organisation told Radio Free Europe that even auditing of the political parties that had been made has exposed many irregularities, but these irregularities were not addressed by the watchdog.

“The campaign of financing political parties is not a problem that Kosovo alone poses. In all countries of the region and in all transition countries, there are problems with financing political parties because donors intend that through granting donations to political parties, they will then be rewarded with public contracts or reliefs in license and other favors”.

So they expect this favour to be paid back to political parties. Public finance is not in the interest of donors or political parties”, says Zeyna.

He says greater pressure is needed by the European Commission for this issue to be addressed well in changes expected to have the Law to fund political subjects.

“However, even if we have a good legislation and full harmony with the directives and practices of EU states implementing legislation is a challenge in itself”.

The “is one of the most problematic laws in implementation as a result of the lack of monitoring institutions and readiness to deal with political parties. If the Central Election Commission reports are viewed that the fines that have been shared by political parties for disrespect of this law are usually for parties that are not represented in the Kosovo Assembly, but there are no fines for major political parties that accept donations from private businesses and from the state budget”, says Zeynepa.

A year, political parties, which are represented in the Kosovo Assembly from Kosovo's budget, split more than 4m euros. The amount of means for financing the activities of political subjects is done on the basis of representation of the number of seats won in the Assembly for a mandate. / REL