This Anti-Corruption Helpdesk brief was produced in response to a query from one of Transparency International’s national chapters. The Anti-Corruption Helpdesk is operated by Transparency International and funded by the European Union.
Query
Which countries have regulations that demand parties and organisers of election campaigns publish all donations and expenses online on a daily basis? Which countries have state bodies responsible for monitoring election campaigns (either inspection or other bodies)? Could you please provide me with a summary of the regulations in these countries on both of these issues and also how they work in practice?
Purpose
The Transparency International national chapter wants to provide input to a draft law on political party financing.
Content
1.Electoral campaign reporting requirements
2.Election monitoring and the role of state bodies
3. References
Summary
Reporting and disclosure requirements are instrumental to ensure fairness and avoid undue influence in the political process. Political parties and candidates should therefore regularly report on donations received and expenditures during electoral campaigns. The frequency of reporting, however, varies from country to country. The Helpdesk has not found any country where a daily reporting requirement is in place. The United Kingdom requires political parties and candidates to make weekly returns of donations during elections. In Latvia, donations have to be reported online within 15 days of receipt.
In order to guarantee the effective implementation of the law, independent and well-resourced supervisory bodies with investigative powers should be established. These bodies should be able to pro-actively conduct investigations throughout and after the elections to ensure political parties and candidates follow campaign finance rules. This is the case, for example, in Ireland and in the United Kingdom. In the majority of countries, however, bodies responsible for overseeing elections rarely exercise their powers, either due to a lack of political will or a lack of resources, staff and/or technical expertise.
Authors
Maíra Martini, Transparency International, [email protected]Reviewers
Marie Chêne, Transparency International; Robin Hodess PhD, Transparency InternationalDate
07/08/2013
