Monitoring Electoral Campaign Finances in

Albania Aldo MERKOÇI – MJAFT! Movement

Methodology and area of investigation

Monitoring the media advertising (MEDIA BUY)

• Number of individual ads

• Total number of ads

• Total time of media buy

• Total amount of expenses

Monitoring Public events

• party conventions

• Political Concerts

• Political rallies

Monitoring of promotional materials

• Billboards

• City lights

• Banners

• Flags

• Posters

Monitoring the media advertising (MEDIA BUY)

Subject of monitoring 10 TV stations and 8 political parties

101 individual political adds were created, and were aired 10,902 times with a total of 119.68 hours of adds aired

First week of the official campaign political parties spend an estimation of 600,000 euros

At the end of the electoral month political parties spend an estimation of

3,583,337 euros

Article 84/6 – the elephant no one talks

Monitoring Public Events

Team of 36 ground monitoring team divided in 12 zones of Albania.

Monitoring all concerts and public events photographing and video recording equipment and no of people.

A total of 219 concerts, 282 meetings and 3 national conventions were monitored.

Total amount of expenses for these public events 4,621,428 euros **

Monitoring of Promotional Materials

Monitoring of Promotional Materials

Monitoring of Promotional Materials

Monitoring of Promotional Materials

The range of promotional materials would vary from 5 to 10 different elements depending on the size and capacities of the party

41942 party flags were counted during the 2013 campaign

795 electoral offices counted

Total amount of expenses for promotional materials 1,387,593 euros

* Use of State property and funds for electoral camping

Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Telecommunication and the Albanian Development Fund spend a total of 122,687 euros, producing 5.2 hours of adds promoting the government “achievements” during the electoral campaign

Use of government building for electoral meetings

Use of administration cars and fuels for the campaign

BIG FIGURES

Total amount of expenses estimated by the MJAFT! Movement team

for the election of 2013: 8.4 million euros

APMI – Right coalition leaded by party in government during election of 2013

estimated 5.1 million euros

ASHE – Left coalition, estimated 3.1 million euros

We VS. THEM

Official party declaration vs our estimation (in EURO)

Party CEC declaration WE

Democratic Party 690,000 4,700,000

Socialist Party 1,300,00 2,400,00

Socialist Movement for Integration 187,571 678,000

What we missed

Vote buying

Social media advertising

Informal meetings

Findings and follow up

Major gaps in the electoral code

• Declaration of contributors

• Regulatory framework for auditing companies

Media related issues

• Article 84/6 concerning Media

• Misinterpretation of the electoral code (use of the time of the coalition and smaller parties)

THANK YOU!

Aldo Merkoçi – aldomerkoci@gmail.com

MJAFT! Movemetn – www.mjaft.org / www.map.mjaft.org

www.lupazgjedhore2013.org