Global Integrity Report

Facts

Integrity Scorecard

2007 Assessment

Argentina: Integrity Indicators Scorecard

Argentina: Integrity Scorecard Report > Sub-Category: Political Financing
Indicators		Score
20	Are there regulations governing political financing?	100
21	Are the regulations governing political financing effective?	29
22	Can citizens access records related to political financing?	83

Indicator and sub-Indicator Details

20

Are there regulations governing political financing?

20a: In law, there are regulations governing private contributions to political parties.

Score:

YES

NO

score

Comments:

References: Law 26.215 www.infoleg.gov.ar

20b: In law, there are limits on individual donations to candidates and political parties.

Score:

YES

NO

score

Comments:

References: Law 26.215 www.infoleg.gov.ar

20c: In law, there are limits on corporate donations to candidates and political parties.

Score:

YES

NO

score

Comments:

References: Law 26.215 www.infoleg.gov.ar

20d: In law, there are limits on total political party expenditures.

Score:

YES

NO

score

Comments:

References: Law 26.215 www.infoleg.gov.ar

20e: In law, there are requirements for disclosure of donations to political candidates and parties.

Score:

YES

NO

$Scoring Criteria :: <strong>YES:</strong> A YES score is earned if there are any requirements mandating the disclosure of financial contributions to political parties or candidates. <p> <strong>NO:</strong> A NO score is earned if there are no requirements mandating the disclosure of contributions to political parties or candidates, existing regulations do not require a donor\'s name or amount given, or the regulations allow for anonymous donations.$

Comments:

References: Law 26.215 www.infoleg.gov.ar

20f: In law, there are requirements for the independent auditing of the finances of political parties and candidates.

Score:

YES

NO

score

Comments:

References: Law 26.215 www.infoleg.gov.ar

20g: In law, there is an agency or entity that monitors the political financing process.

Score:

YES

NO

score

Comments:

References: Law 26.215 www.infoleg.gov.ar

Peer Review Comments: Law 26.215. Article 61. Period. The federal electoral justice and the National Electoral Chamber trhough the Auditors' Body Book-keepers will have a maximum of hundred eighty (180) days for the accomplishment of the audit of the final reports of campaign and thirty (30) days for the production and notification to the political parties of the corresponding opinion.

21

Are the regulations governing political financing effective?

21a: In practice, the limits on individual donations to candidates and political parties are effective in regulating an individual's ability to financially support a candidate or political party.

Score:

100

75

50

25

0

score

Comments: The control is ineffective. Some of the limitations are the result of the lack of resources - human, economic and technological. For the monitoring agency it is very difficult to prove with contrasting data that money flows to campaigns illegally.

References: Transparency International / The carter Center, 2007. Proyecto Crinis. Dinero en la politica, asunto de todos www.transparency.org; Interview to Pablo Secchi, Poder Ciudadano, Aug. 17, 2007

21b: In practice, the limits on corporate donations to candidates and political parties are effective in regulating a company's ability to financially support a candidate or political party.

Score:

100

75

50

25

0

score

Comments:

References: Transparency International / The carter Center, 2007. Proyecto Crinis. Dinero en la politica, asunto de todos www.transparency.org; Interview to Pablo Secchi, Poder Ciudadano, Aug. 17, 2007

21c: In practice, the limits on total party expenditures are effective in regulating a political party's ability to fund campaigns or politically-related activities.

Score:

100

75

50

25

0

score

Comments: Only a few parties are in the position to surpass the limits. Usually these are the parties in the government, which tend to use public resources with electoral purposes. Companies tend to be reluctant to fund campaigns because of the disclosure policy. This does not prevent them from making in kind or illegal donations.

References: Transparency International / The carter Center, 2007. Proyecto Crinis. Dinero en la politica, asunto de todos www.transparency.org; Interview to Pablo Secchi, Poder Ciudadano, Aug. 17, 2007

Peer Review Comments: Existing limits are routinely bypassed or willfully ignored. There have been extensive reports which appeared in the daily La Nacion on how the major parties systematically bypass spending limits and often do not report campaign expenditures. This is particularly true for the Peronists and the Radicals.

Peer Review Comments: The party in government tend to use public resources, but other parties get economic help through various ways. See [ LINK ]

21d: In practice, when necessary, an agency or entity monitoring political financing independently initiates investigations.

Score:

100

75

50

25

0

score

Comments: Judges are very relectant to investigate on their own. They are usually moved by the media or other parties in competition. This has not been very common.

References: Transparency International / The carter Center, 2007. Proyecto Crinis. Dinero en la politica, asunto de todos www.transparency.org; Interview to Pablo Secchi, Poder Ciudadano, Aug. 17, 2007

21e: In practice, when necessary, an agency or entity monitoring political financing imposes penalties on offenders.

Score:

100

75

50

25

0

score

Comments:

References: Transparency International / The carter Center, 2007. Proyecto Crinis. Dinero en la politica, asunto de todos www.transparency.org; Interview to Pablo Secchi, Poder Ciudadano, Aug. 17, 2007

21f: In practice, contributions to political parties and candidates are audited.

Score:

100

75

50

25

0

score

Comments:

References: Transparency International / The carter Center, 2007. Proyecto Crinis. Dinero en la politica, asunto de todos www.transparency.org; Interview to Pablo Secchi, Poder Ciudadano, Aug. 17, 2007

22

Can citizens access records related to political financing?

22a: In practice, political parties and candidates disclose data relating to financial support and expenditures within a reasonable time period.

Score:

100

75

50

25

0

score

Comments:

References: Transparency International / The carter Center, 2007. Proyecto Crinis. Dinero en la politica, asunto de todos www.transparency.org; Interview to Pablo Secchi, Poder Ciudadano, Aug. 17, 2007

22b: In practice, citizens can access the financial records of political parties and candidates within a reasonable time period.

Score:

100

75

50

25

0

score

Comments: In this case the oversight body has had a leading role in publishing online the official funding reports of the political parties.

References: Transparency International / The carter Center, 2007. Proyecto Crinis. Dinero en la politica, asunto de todos www.transparency.org; Interview to Pablo Secchi, Poder Ciudadano, Aug. 17, 2007

Peer Review Comments: Yes, but the problem is that what parties declare is not what they actually have in terms of funds. Large amounts of funds never get reported.

22c: In practice, citizens can access the financial records of political parties and candidates at a reasonable cost.

Score:

100

75

50

25

0

score

Comments:

References: Transparency International / The carter Center, 2007. Proyecto Crinis. Dinero en la politica, asunto de todos www.transparency.org; Interview to Pablo Secchi, Poder Ciudadano, Aug. 17, 2007

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