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2009 Assessment

Macedonia (FYROM): Integrity Indicators Scorecard

Macedonia (FYROM): Integrity Scorecard Report > Sub-Category: Political Financing
Indicators		Score
20	Are there regulations governing the financing of political parties?	83
21	Are there regulations governing the financing of individual political candidates?	100
22	Are the regulations governing the political financing of parties effective?	54
23	Are the regulations governing the political financing of individual candidates effective?	75
24	Can citizens access records related to the financing of political parties?	38
25	Can citizens access records related to the financing of individual candidates' campaigns?	25

Indicator and sub-Indicator Details

Are there regulations governing the financing of political parties?

20a: In law, there are limits on individual donations to political parties.

Score:

YES

Comments: The Law on Financing of Political Parties states that an individual donation cannot surpass the amount of 100 average salaries (as calculated the previous month by the State Statistical Office).

References: Law on Financing Political Parties, 2004, Article 16.

20b: In law, there are limits on corporate donations to political parties.

Score:

YES

Comments: The Law on Financing of Political Parties states that a corporate donation cannot surpass 200 average salaries (as calculated the previous month by the State Bureau of Statistics).

References: Law on Financing Political Parties, 2004, Article 16.

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

Score:

YES

Comments:

References: Although a special law has been passed that deals with the issue of financing political parties, no such limits have been indicated.

20d: In law, there are requirements for the disclosure of donations to political parties.

Score:

YES

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

Comments: Every citizen and responsible state institution has access to information regarding party finances.

References: Law on Financing Political Parties, 2004, Articles 4 and 5.

20e: In law, there are requirements for the independent auditing of the finances and expenditures of political parties when financial irregularities are uncovered.

Score:

YES

$Scoring Criteria :: YES: A YES score is earned if there is a legal or regulatory requirement for the independent auditing of party finances and expenditures when irregularities are uncovered. The auditing is performed by an impartial third-party. NO: A NO score is earned if there are no legal or regulatory requirements for the independent auditing of political parties\' finances and expenditures when financial irregularities are uncovered. A NO score is also earned if such requirements exist but allow for parties to self-audit.$

Comments: The Ministry of Finance and the State Audit Office have the authorization to audit the parties. Each year the party is obligated to send a financial report to the State Audit Office by March 31.

References: Law on Financing Political Partiesm 2004, Articles 26 and 27.

20f: In law, there is an agency or entity that monitors the financing of political parties.

Score:

YES

Comments: Article 26 states that the Ministry of Finances and the State Audit Bureau have access to information on the financial activities of political parties.

References: Law on Financing of Political Parties, 2004, Article 26.

Are there regulations governing the financing of individual political candidates?

21a: In law, there are limits on individual donations to political candidates.

Score:

YES

Comments:

References: The Law on Financing Political Parties.

21b: In law, there are limits on corporate donations to individual political candidates.

Score:

YES

Comments:

References: The Law on Financing Political Parties.

21c: In law, there are requirements for the disclosure of donations to individual political candidates.

Score:

YES

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

Comments:

References: The Law on Financing Political Parties.

21d: In law, there are requirements for the independent auditing of the campaign finances of individual political candidates when irregularities are uncovered.

Score:

YES

$Scoring Criteria :: YES: A YES score is earned if there is a legal or regulatory requirement for the independent auditing of an individual candidate\'s campaign finances and expenditures when financial irregularities are uncovered. The auditing is performed by an impartial third-party. NO: A NO score is earned if there are no legal or regulatory requirements for the independent auditing of an individual candidate\'s campaign finances and expenditures when financial irregularities are uncovered. A NO score is also earned if such requirements exist but allow for candidates to self-audit.$

Comments:

References: The Law on Financing Political Parties.

21e: In law, there is an agency or entity that monitors the financing of individual political candidates' campaigns.

Score:

YES

$Scoring Criteria :: YES: A YES score is earned if there is a domestic agency or set of domestic agencies/entities formally assigned to monitor and enforce laws and regulations around the financing of individual political candidates\' campaigns. A YES score is earned even if the agency/entity is ineffective in practice. NO: A NO score is earned if there is no such agency or entity. A NO score is also earned if this monitoring is solely carried out by the media and civil society organizations.$

Comments: Although not specifically indicated in the above-mentioned law, it is the practice that the Ministry of Finances and the State Audit Office monitor the financing of individual candidates.

References: The Law on Financing Political Parties.

Are the regulations governing the political financing of parties effective?

22a: In practice, the limits on individual donations to political parties are effective in regulating an individual's ability to financially support a political party.

Score:

100

Comments: Loopholes exist through which individuals can indirectly support political parties above and beyond formal limitations. Such loopholes could include making donations to third-party groups that advocate on behalf of (or against) a particular party or in-kind support that is not explicitly regulated by laws or regulations.

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

Peer Review Comments: This kind of financing has many abnormalities. The payment goes hand-to-hand, so it is very hard to prove how the political parties are financed.

22b: In practice, the limits on corporate donations to political parties are effective in regulating a company's ability to financially support a political party.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

Peer Review Comments: This kind of illegal financing is very hard to control because it does not go through the banks. If you see the political parties' donation records, they usually don't surpass 5,000 euros (about US$7,150) for donations, which is far from the truth.

22c: 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

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

22d: In practice, when necessary, an agency or entity monitoring the financing of political parties independently initiates investigations.

Score:

100

Comments: Very few and not effective.

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

Peer Review Comments: Not one investigation has had closure so far.

22e: In practice, when necessary, an agency or entity monitoring the financing of political parties imposes penalties on offenders.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

Peer Review Comments: The agency is very slow to act and unable to enforce its judgments. There hasn't been any punishment for a political party so far.

22f: In practice, contributions to political parties are audited.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

Are the regulations governing the political financing of individual candidates effective?

23a: In practice, the limits on individual donations to political candidates are effective in regulating an individual's ability to financially support a particular candidate.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

23b: In practice, the limits on corporate donations to individual candidates are effective in regulating a company's ability to financially support a candidate.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

23c: In practice, when necessary, an agency or entity monitoring the financing of individual candidates' campaigns independently initiates investigations.

Score:

100

$Scoring Criteria :: 100 Score Criteria: The agency or entity aggressively starts investigations into allegations of wrong doing with respect to the financing of individual candidates\' campaigns, or cooperates well with other agencies that do. The agency is fair in its application of this power. 50 Score Criteria: The agency or entity will start investigations, but often relies on external pressure to set priorities, or has limited effectiveness when investigating. The agency, thought limited in effectiveness, is still fair in its application of power. It may be reluctant to cooperate with other investigatory agencies. 0 Score Criteria: The agency or entity rarely investigates on its own, or the agency or entity is partisan in its application of this power. It does not cooperate well with other investigatory agencies.$

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

Peer Review Comments: The agency has limited effectiveness when investigating, but is still fair in its application of power.

23d: In practice, when necessary, an agency or entity monitoring the financing of individual candidates' campaigns imposes penalties on offenders.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

23e: In practice, the finances of individual candidates' campaigns are audited.

Score:

100

$Scoring Criteria :: 100 Score Criteria: The finances of individual candidates\' campaigns are regularly audited using generally accepted auditing practices. The auditing may be regular and comprehensive or only initiated after an initial review reveals irregularities. 50 Score Criteria: The finances of individual candidates\' campaigns are audited, but audits are limited in some way, such as using inadequate auditing standards, or the presence of exceptions to disclosed contributions. 0 Score Criteria: The finances of individual candidates\' campaigns are not audited, or the audits performed have no value in tracking contributions. Audits may be performed by entities known to be partisan or biased in their practices.$

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

Can citizens access records related to the financing of political parties?

24a: In practice, political parties disclose data relating to financial support and expenditures within a reasonable time period.

Score:

100

Comments: Following the last elections in 2009, only the smaller parties provided details in the timeframe required.

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

Peer Review Comments: The political parties disclose data relating to financial support and expenditures within a reasonable time period. In the last elections, only one political party didn't disclose financial support. But the problem is that the financial disclosure is often not true; it doesn't consist of objective information about the financing, but no institution has managed to prove this so far.

24b: In practice, citizens can access the financial records of political parties within a reasonable time period.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

Peer Review Comments: Citizens can access the financial reports of the political parties through their websites 30 days after the elections.

24c: In practice, citizens can access the financial records of political parties at a reasonable cost.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

Peer Review Comments: Records are free to all citizens and they can be obtained at little cost, such as by mail, or online.

24d: In practice, the publicly available records of political parties' finances are of high quality.

Score:

100

$Scoring Criteria :: 100 Score Criteria: Publicly available records of political parties\' finances are complete and detailed, itemizing all significant sources of income and expenditures. 50 Score Criteria: Publicly available records of political parties\' finances are available but are often lacking in important details, are overly general, or are otherwise incomplete. 0 Score Criteria: Publicly available records of political parties\' finances, when available, are so incomplete or overly general as to render them useless in understanding a party's sources of income and its expenditures.$

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

Peer Review Comments: Oftentimes, the sources of funding for political parties are not mentioned.

Peer Review Comments: The records are very poor because they don't contain precise information about the donors and often have inaccurate data about the money that was received for the campaign.

Can citizens access records related to the financing of individual candidates' campaigns?

25a: In practice, individual political candidates disclose data relating to financial support and expenditures within a reasonable time period.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

Peer Review Comments: Individual candidates rarely disclose their sources of funding or their expenditures.

25b: In practice, citizens can access the financial records of individual candidates (their campaign revenues and expenditures) within a reasonable time period.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

25c: In practice, citizens can access the financial records of individual candidates (their campaign revenues and expenditures) at a reasonable cost.

Score:

100

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.

Peer Review Comments: Accessing financial records of individual candidates imposes a financial burden on citizens; however, the cost does not prohibit access to the records.

Peer Review Comments: Citizens can access the financial records of individual candidates (their campaign revenues and expenditures) at a reasonable cost, but retrieving records requires a visit to a specific office in the national capital, which takes time and money.

25d: In practice, the publicly available records of political candidates' campaign finances are of high quality.

Score:

100

$Scoring Criteria :: 100 Score Criteria: Publicly available records of political candidates\' campaign finances are complete and detailed, itemizing all significant sources of income and expenditures. 50 Score Criteria: Publicly available records of political candidates\' campaign finances are available but are often lacking in important details, are overly general, or are otherwise incomplete. 0 Score Criteria: Publicly available records of political candidates\' campaign finances, when available, are so incomplete or overly general as to render them useless in understanding a candidate's sources of income and expenditures.$

Comments:

References: Interview with Marija Risteska, MPA, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making, August 25, 2009.

Interview with Diogen Hadzhi Kosta Milevski, teaching assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of Kliment Ohridski, Bitola, August, 21, 2009.