Alternattiva Demokratika-The Green Party is in agreement in principle with the White Paper on the Financing of Politics but considers that most of the details concerning the proposals should be reconsidered. This was stated by Prof. Arnold Cassola, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson, to Minister Owen Bonnici in a meeting held in Valletta today. Prof. Cassola added that Alternattiva Demokratika has been consistent in its 25 years existence by constantly advocating the regulation of the financing ofpolitics and political parties.

Carmel Cacopardo, Deputy Chairperson of Alternattiva Demokratika emphasised with the Minister that the Electoral Commission should not be identified as the regulatory authority on political parties and their finances. Alternattiva Demokratika is proposing that this role is carried out by the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life. The Electoral Commission is under the exclusive control of the political parties represented in Parliament in contrast to the Commissioner on Standards in Public Life who, appointed with the concurrence of two thirds of the Members of parliament, is not just a person of integrity but also a person who is acceptable to a very wide segment of the population.

Cacopardo added that the White Paper discusses the registration of political parties and enters into detail as to how they should be organised. Whilst Alternattiva Demokratika is in agreement with the proposed registration of the political parties, it believes that the White Paper enters into unnecessary detail in this respect. It would have been much better had it restricted itself to the essentials. There is agreement that the registration of parties should ensure that these are democratic both in respect of their political thought as well as structurally but there is no need for the eventual legislation to enter into the details of how the internal organisation of a political party functions.

There is a danger, added Cacopardo, that the difference in size and consequently the available resources of the parties is not factored in. Whilst Alternattiva Demokratika agrees with and accepts the proposal that the accounts of a political party should be audited, it is noted that the White Paper does not distinguish between the large parties which have an annual turnover measured in millions and Alternattiva Demokratika whose turnover does not exceed €15,000 per annum. In this respect, Alternattiva Demokratika is proposing that political parties whose turnover does not exceed €100,000 per annum shall have their audit fees shouldered by the regulator.

Prof. Arnold Cassola Chairperson stated that the White Paper core issues concern the donations to political parties and the manner in which these are regulated. Alternattiva Demokratika is of the opinion that the thresholds proposed by the White Paper are too high. It is the opinion of Alternattiva Demokratika that whilst donations less than €4,000 per annum should remain confidential, donations between €4,000 and €40,000 per annum should be made public and should be notified to the regulator. It should not be possible to donate more than €40,000 per annum.

Prof. Cassola added that the White paper does not include mention of loans made to political parties and in particular it ignores the possibility that a loan could be used to camouflage donations and hence avoid transparent procedures. Neither does the White Paper consider the required controls relative to the parties’ commercial activities nor does it examine how there could be introduced more effective controls on the use of public properties by political parties.

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Alternattiva Demokratika taqbel fil-prinċipju mal-proposti fil-White Paper dwar il-finanzjament tal-politika iżda taħseb li bosta mid-dettalji dwar il-proposti li saru għandhom ikunu ikkunsidrati mill-ġdid. Dan qalu l-Prof. Arnold Cassola, Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, lill-Ministru Owen Bonnici llum il-Belt. Il-Prof. Cassola żied jgħid illi Alternattiva Demokratika b’mod konsistenti tul il-25 sena ta’ eżistenza tagħha dejjem ħadmet favur ir-regolamentazzjoni tal-politika u tal-partiti.

Carmel Cacopardo, Deputat Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, emfasizza lill-Ministru Bonnici li m’huwiex għaqli li l-awtorita regolatorja dwar il-partiti politiċi u l-finanzjament tagħhom tkun il-Kummissjoni Elettorali. Alternattiva Demokratika qed tipproponi li jkun il-Kummissarju dwar l-Istandards fil-Ħajja Pubblika. Il-Kummissjoni Elettorali hi taħt il-kontroll esklussiv tal-partiti politiċi fil-Parlament iżda l-Kummissarju dwar l-Istandards fil-Ħajja Pubblika, meta jinħatar bil-qbil ta’ żewg terzi tal-membri tal-Parlament, mhux biss persuna ta’ integrita iżda fuq kollox persuna aċċettabbli għal faxxa iktar wiesa’ ta’ nies.

Cacopardo żied jgħid illi l-White Paper titkellem ukoll dwar ir-reġistrazzjoni tal-Partiti u tidħol f’numru ta’ dettalji dwar kif għandhom ikunu organizzati. Alternattiva Demokratika, filwaqt li taqbel mal-proposta ta’ reġistrazzjoni tal-partiti, jidhrilha li l-White Paper tidħol f’ħafna dettalji żejda. Kien ikun ħafna aħjar kieku illimitat ruħha għall-essenzjali. Hemm qbil li r-reġistrazzjoni tal-partiti għandha teżiġi li l-partiti jkunu demokratici fil-ħsieb u fil-forma imma ma hemm l-ebda ħtieġa li din tidħol ukoll fid-dettall ta’ kif taħdem l-organizzazzjoni interna ta’ partit politiku.

Hemm il-periklu, żied jgħid Cacopardo, li ma tittieħditx konsiderazzjoni tad-differenzi fid-daqs tal-partiti u allura ukoll fir-riżorsi disponibbli għalihom. Filwaqt li Alternattiva Demokratika tifhem u taċċetta li l-kontijiet tal-partiti għandhom ikunu soġġetti għal verifika, hu innutat li l-White Paper ma tiddistingwix bejn il-partiti l-kbar li għandhom turnover ta’ miljuni fis-sena u Alternattiva Demokratika li t-turnover tagħha ma jaqbiżx il-€15,000 fis-sena. F’dan ir-rigward Alternattiva Demokratika qed tipproponi li fil-każ ta’ partiti politiċi li t-turnover annwali tagħhom ma jaqbiżx il-€100,000, l-ispejjes konnessi mal-verifika annwali jitħallsu mir-regolatur.

Arnold Cassola, Chairperson, qal li l-qalba tal-proposti fil-White Paper jirrigwardaw id-donazzjonijiet lill-partiti u kif dawn għandhom ikunu regolati. Alternattiva Demokratika jidhrilha illi l-limiti illi tipproponi l-White Paper huma għoljin wisq. Fil-fehma ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, filwaqt li donazzjonijiet taħt l-€4,000 fis-sena għandhom jibqgħu protetti bil-kunfidenzjalita’, d-donazzjonijiet bejn l-€4,000 u l-€40,000 fis-sena għandhom ikunu pubbliċi u tinghata informazzjoni dwarhom lir-regolatur. M’ghandhomx ikunu possibli donazzjonijiet li jaqbzu l-€40,000 fis-sena.

Il-prof. Cassola żied jgħid illi l-White Paper ma titkellimx dwar self lill-partiti politici u in partikolari tinjora l-possibilita li s-self jista’ jintuża biex jostor donazzjonijiet u b’hekk ikunu evitati l-proċeduri ta’ trasparenza. Il-White Paper lanqas ma teżamina l-kontrolli meħtiega fuq l-attivita’ kummerċjali tal-partiti kif lanqas ma teżamina kif jista’ jkun hemm iktar kontrolli effettivi dwar l-użu mill-partiti politiċi ta’ propjeta’ pubblika.