Latvian President Egils Levits suggests providing state financing to political parties that run in municipal elections.
In the president’s commentary to the Law on Amendments to the Law on Financing of Political Organisations, Levits mentions that during the review of the legislative project several suggestions were mentioned, and the legislator should consider them in the context of efforts to improve the country’s political parties financing system.
The president especially stresses the need to improve regulations under which political parties report on the use of state budget financing. Amendments should make the reporting process for parties easier and make sure residents have access to detailed information and therefore a clear picture about the use of state financing.
«The regulation in force now does not prohibit parties from voluntarily publishing detailed reports on the use of the money provided by the state. However, in practice political organisations publish only the information required by regulations,» says Levits.
Additionally it is necessary to improve regulations when it comes to target groups in favour of which parties are allowed to use state-provided finances to ensure the money serves the intended purpose. Levits stresses that allocation of state budget financing to political parties is something of an order to provide quality work from political parties, which is something that is important for society as a whole. This is why the legislator is authorized to differentiate criteria based on which political parties can access financing.
«I have always stressed that attraction of financing specifically and only for goals voiced during election campaigns does not fully accomplish that goal.»
«We should provide criteria under which a portion of financing would be allowed to be used to ensure operations during the inter-election period,» stresses the president.
According to him, this can be done by, for example, providing a portion of the state budget financing for members that pay membership fees in the inter-election period, or by allocating a portion of state financing towards territorial operations of political parties or maintenance of youth organisations.
Levits also recommends ensuring accessibility of financing for parties whose primary goal is not running in Saeima elections but municipal elections instead, thereby providing them balanced opportunities to develop and maintain their administrative operations during the inter-election period.
As previously reported, the majority of Saeima deputies passed amendments to the Law on Financing of Political Organisations, thereby supporting a proposal from Saeima deputies Juris Pūce, Juris Jurašs and Raivis Dzintars to link state financing for political parties with the minimal wage size.
Amendments also state that state financing will be ceased for political parties whose Saeima factions have fallen apart.
Latvian president suggests providing state funding to parties running in municipal elections
