Sergiu Lipcean, Political Scientist, Lecturer of the State University of Moldova - The impact of...

The impact of normative regulations on financing electoral campaigns in

Moldova

Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova

Policies on funding political partiesStates address the issue of political funding through two distinct but

complementary types: regulatory policies and distributive policies (M. Pinto Duschinsky).

1. Regulatory policies are applied when there is an increased probability of incidence of dirty money and corruption on parties and pursuing the establishment of new rules to adjust the behavior of parties in the financial shpere.

2. Distributive policies involve public subsidies in various forms and seek to create a framework for maximizing the equality of political and electoral participation chances for all competitors.


Rules on donations

• Ceilings imposed on donations from induviduals and business sector under the law on political parties are too high taking into consideration the living standards of citizens of Moldova;

• In the capmaign of April 5, 2009, a political party could be financed either by 4 legal entities or by 8 individuals;

• Ceiling for donations from legal entity was 3 140 thousands lei / 214 thousands €;

• Ceiling for donations from individuals was 1 570 thousands lei / 107 thousands €.


Classification of donations

• Very big donations - 100 thousands lei and more

( 6,8 thousands €);• Big donations – in between 50 thousands and 100

thousands lei

( 3,4 - 6,8 thousands €);• Medium donations - more than 10 thousands lei –

less than 50 thousands lei

(680 - 3,4 mii €);

• Small donations - up to 10 thousands lei

(up to 680 €).


0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

PCRM PSD AMN PLDM MAE PD PL PPCD

Structura veniturilor acumulate în campania electorală din 5 aprilie 2009 de către concurenţii electorali pe categorii de donatori

Donaţii foarte mari Donaţii mari Donaţii medii Donaţii mici

The structure of the collected incomes in the April 5, 2009 electoral campaign by the political parties, sorted in categories of donors

Very big donations Big donations Medium donations Small donations

Communists

Social Democrats

Our Moldova Alliance

Liberal Democrats

European Action

Democratic Party

Liberal party

Christian Democrats


0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

PCRM PSD AMN PLDM MAE PD PL PPCD

Structura veniturilor acumulate în campania electorală din 29 iulie 2009 de către concurenţii electorali pe categorii de donatori


The structure of the collected incomes in the July 29, 2009 electoral campaign by the political parties, sorted in categories of donors


Communists

Social Democrats

Our Moldova Alliance

Liberal Democrats

European Action

Democratic Party

Liberal party

Christian Democrats


Structura veniturilor acumulate în campaniile electorale de către PCRM pe categorii de donatori

60%

6%1% 6%6%21%

33%

67%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

5 Aprilie 2009 29 Iulie 2009


The structure of the collected incomes by the Communist Party in the electoral campaigns, sorted on categories of donors


April 5, 2009 July 29, 2009


Structura veniturilor acumulate în campaniile electorale de către PSD pe categorii de donatori

70%

8%16%

56%

6%

44%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%




The structure of the collected incomes by the Social Democratic Party in the electoral campaigns, sorted on categories of donors

April 5, 2009 July 29, 2009


Structura veniturilor acumulate în campaniile electorale de către AMN pe categorii de donatori

58% 57%

22% 26%14% 15%

6% 2%0%

20%40%60%80%




The structure of the collected incomes by the Our Moldova Alliance Party in the electoral campaigns, sorted on categories of donors

April 5, 2009 July 29, 2009


Structura veniturilor acumulate în campaniile electorale de către PLDM pe categorii de donatori

90%

62%

4%

28%

6% 9%1%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%




The structure of the collected incomes by the Liberal Democratic Party in the electoral campaigns, sorted on categories of donors

April 5, 2009 July 29, 2009


Structura veniturilor acumulate în campaniile electorale de către MAE pe categorii de donatori

62%

19% 15%18%

64%

1%

21%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%




The structure of the collected incomes by the European Action Movement in the electoral campaigns, sorted on categories of donors

April 5, 2009 July 29, 2009


Structura veniturilor acumulate în campaniile electorale de către PD pe categorii de donatori

84%97%

5% 1%9% 1%2% 1%0%

20%40%60%80%

100%120%




The structure of the collected incomes by the Democratic Party in the electoral campaigns, sorted on categories of donors

April 5, 2009 July 29, 2009

Evaluarea finanţării partidelor politice şi campaniilor electorale în Republica Moldova

Structura veniturilor acumulate în campaniile electorale de către PL pe categorii de donatori

96%

66%

4%14% 11% 9%

0%

20%40%

60%

80%100%

120%




The structure of the collected incomes by the Liberal Party in the electoral campaigns, sorted on categories of donors

April 5, 2009 July 29, 2009


Structura veniturilor acumulate în campaniile electorale de către PPCD pe categorii de donatori

25%

9%12% 12%

34%

46%

29%33%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%




The structure of the collected incomes by the Christian Democratic Party in the electoral campaigns, sorted on categories of donors

April 5, 2009 July 29, 2009


The number of donors in the praliamnetary electoral campaigns

April 5, 2009 elctoral campaign

July 29, 2009 elctoral campaign

Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova

? ?

Social Democratic Party 117 26

Our Moldova Alliance Party 81 49

Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova 28 21

Social-Political Movement “European Action”

37 35

Democratic Party of Moldova 21 21

Liberal Party 7 46

Christian Democratic People’s Party of Moldova

94 90


Conculsions on the incomes of political parties in the electoral campaigns

• Political parties from Republic of Moldova are isolated from ordinary people if we see the financial contribution as a form of political participation and even as a manefestation of freedom of expression;

• Parties have a very narrow base of due-payers, based on the raised amounts of funds for campaign, the lentgh of donors lists and the way the revenues are distributed by category of donors;

• Very big and big financial contributions from donors were 70%-80% or even more of the total amount of raised funds on the electoral campaign account.


• Even if some parties had a more dispersed base of due-payers and donor lists were longer than those of candidates, the main “burden” has fallen on the shoulders of a reduced number of donors;

• Concentraition of finacial resources in the hands of a small group of people generate suspicions about:

a) the level of democracy within political parties and the non-elimination of the political corruption danger;b) the interests that are promoted by political parties and whether these interests converge with the ublic interest;c) the chances of participation in equal conditions in the decison-making process of all who lack finacial means.


Durata apariţiei şi intervenţiei concurenţilor electorali la Moldova 1

PCRM63%AMN

7%

PD7%

PLDM4%

PSD7%

PPCD3%

MAE4%

PL5%

UC0%

PCRM AMN PD PLDM PSD PPCD MAE PL UC

Duration of appearance and intervention of candidates at Moldova 1 (National TV public company)

Communist party

Our Moldova

Democratic Party

Liberal Democrats

Social Democrats

Christian Democrats

European Action Liberal party

Centrists’ Union


Durata intervenţiei concurenţilor electorali la postul Radio Moldova

87%

2%2%2% 2% 2% 1%1%1%

PCRM AMN PLDM MAE PD PSD PL PPCD UC

Duration of intervention of the candidates at Radio Moldova (national public radio)

Communist party

Our Moldova

Democratic Party

Social Democrats

Christian DemocratsEuropean Action

Liberal partyLiberal Democrats Centrists’ Union


• The evolution of legal framework in the field political funding was slow but the changes that were made were incremental;

• Changes to legislation rather reflected a compromise between the pressures from international organisations to adapt national legislation with international standards in the field of financing political parties and the local actors;

• Elimination of the citizens who are abroad represents a breach of such fundamental rights as freedom of expression and participation in the political and electoral process through funding;

Conclusions and recommendations


• The ceiling for donations should be definitevly decreased in order to reflect socio-economic situation and living standards of most citizens of the country;

• Remove the interdiction imposed to moldovan citizens who are abroad to donate to political parties;

• Introducing regultions that will encourage political parties to raise funds from private sources in small amounts;

• Central Electoral Commission should impose a discipline for respecting terms of finacial reports related to raised funds and expenses.

Thank you for your attnetion!

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