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Greater transparency in campaign financing essential, OSCE Kosovo Mission says
PRISTINA 24 March 2005
PRISTINA, 24 March 2005 - The OSCE Mission in Kosovo today made public the final Report on Political Entity Campaign Financial Disclosures.
The Political Party Registration Office (PPRO), which compiled the report, took on the task of conducting an audit of all political entities which ran in the 2004 Assembly Election.
"The primary focus of this report was to pinpoint as accurately as possible the amount each political entity spent on its campaign, as well as to disclose the sources of their income," said Lars Lagergren, Director of the OSCE Mission's Elections Department.
Thirty two of the 33 political entities contesting the 2004 Election submitted reports. The PPRO found that there were considerable improvements in the preparation of the financial disclosure reports.
Income generally came from donations and money received from the Democratization Support Fund, while rallies and advertisements were the major expenditures. The report also showed that no political entity exceeded the campaign spending limit of 648,472.50 Euros.
The PPRO will file complaints with the Election Complaints and Appeals Commission against political entities which submitted incomplete or inaccurate reports, while a number of entities will be charged a fee for late submission of disclosure reports.
The report is being made public a day after it was presented to the Central Election Commission. Political entities have 10 days to examine the report and bring possible errors to the attention of the PPRO.
"Financial disclosure reports ensure that political entities of Kosovo running in elections commit to transparency, an essential value in democratic societies," said Mr. Lagergren. "Political entities must demonstrate to the public how funds and other contributions are raised and spent, particularly in an electoral campaign."
The report can be found on the Kosovo Elections website at
http://www.kosovoelections.org
The Political Party Registration Office (PPRO), which compiled the report, took on the task of conducting an audit of all political entities which ran in the 2004 Assembly Election.
"The primary focus of this report was to pinpoint as accurately as possible the amount each political entity spent on its campaign, as well as to disclose the sources of their income," said Lars Lagergren, Director of the OSCE Mission's Elections Department.
Thirty two of the 33 political entities contesting the 2004 Election submitted reports. The PPRO found that there were considerable improvements in the preparation of the financial disclosure reports.
Income generally came from donations and money received from the Democratization Support Fund, while rallies and advertisements were the major expenditures. The report also showed that no political entity exceeded the campaign spending limit of 648,472.50 Euros.
The PPRO will file complaints with the Election Complaints and Appeals Commission against political entities which submitted incomplete or inaccurate reports, while a number of entities will be charged a fee for late submission of disclosure reports.
The report is being made public a day after it was presented to the Central Election Commission. Political entities have 10 days to examine the report and bring possible errors to the attention of the PPRO.
"Financial disclosure reports ensure that political entities of Kosovo running in elections commit to transparency, an essential value in democratic societies," said Mr. Lagergren. "Political entities must demonstrate to the public how funds and other contributions are raised and spent, particularly in an electoral campaign."
The report can be found on the Kosovo Elections website at
http://www.kosovoelections.org