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.
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
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 €.
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
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 €).
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
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
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
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
Donaţii foarte mari Donaţii mari Donaţii medii Donaţii mici
The structure of the collected incomes in the July 29, 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
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
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
Donaţii foarte mari Donaţii mari Donaţii medii Donaţii mici
The structure of the collected incomes by the Communist Party in the electoral campaigns, sorted on categories of donors
Very big donations Big donations Medium donations Small donations
April 5, 2009 July 29, 2009
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
Structura veniturilor acumulate în campaniile electorale de către PSD pe categorii de donatori
70%
8%16%
56%
6%
44%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
5 Aprilie 2009 29 Iulie 2009
Donaţii foarte mari Donaţii mari Donaţii medii Donaţii mici
Very big donations Big donations Medium donations Small donations
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
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
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%
5 Aprilie 2009 29 Iulie 2009
Donaţii foarte mari Donaţii mari Donaţii medii Donaţii mici
Very big donations Big donations Medium donations Small donations
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
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
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%
5 Aprilie 2009 29 Iulie 2009
Donaţii foarte mari Donaţii mari Donaţii medii Donaţii mici
Very big donations Big donations Medium donations Small donations
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
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
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%
5 Aprilie 2009 29 Iulie 2009
Donaţii foarte mari Donaţii mari Donaţii medii Donaţii mici
Very big donations Big donations Medium donations Small donations
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
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
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%
5 Aprilie 2009 29 Iulie 2009
Donaţii foarte mari Donaţii mari Donaţii medii Donaţii mici
Very big donations Big donations Medium donations Small donations
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%
5 Aprilie 2009 29 Iulie 2009
Donaţii foarte mari Donaţii mari Donaţii medii Donaţii mici
Very big donations Big donations Medium donations Small donations
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
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
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%
5 Aprilie 2009 29 Iulie 2009
Donaţii foarte mari Donaţii mari Donaţii medii Donaţii mici
Very big donations Big donations Medium donations Small donations
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
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
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
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
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.
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
• 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.
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
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
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
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
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
• 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
Evaluation of the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in Moldova
• 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.
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