Party financing law: Yes in principle

 

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 Arnold Cassola Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson who added that Alternattiva Demokratika has been consistent in its 25 years existence constantly advocating the regulation of politics and political parties. Alternattiva Demokratika, added Arnold Cassola will be participating in the public consultation and for this purpose it has prepared a document with its proposals which it expects to discuss with Government.

 

Carmel Cacopardo Deputy Chairperson of Alternattiva Demokratika emphasised that the Electoral Commission 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, when appointed with the concurrance of two thirds of the Members of parliament should be, 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 considers that the White Paper enters into unnecessary detail in this respect. It would have been much better if it restricted itsself to the essentials. There is agreement that the registraton 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 White paper 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 accets 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 relative to political parties whose turnover does not exceed €100,000 per annum audit fees will be shouldered by the regulator.

 

Arnold Cassola Chairperson of Alternattiva Demokratika  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 public and should be notified to the regulator. It shoukd not be possible to donate more than €40,000 per annum.

 

Cassola added that the White paper does not consider 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.

 

Cassola concluded that in the coming weeks Alternattiva Demokratika expects that it discusses its views with government.

 

The text of the document presented to government can be accessed here: financing.final.en.

 

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Iva fil-principju

 

Alternattiva Demokratika taqbel fil-principju mal-proposti fil-White Paper dwar il-finanzjament tal-politika izda tahseb li bosta mid-dettalji dwar il-proposti li saru ghandhom ikunu kkunsidrati mill-gdid. Dan qalu Arnold Cassola Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika li zied jghid illi Alternattiva Demokratika b’mod konsistenti tul il-25 sena ta’ ezistenza taghha dejjem hadmet favur ir-regolamentazzjoni tal-politika u tal-partiti. Alternattiva Demokratika, zied jghid Arnold Cassola ser tiehu sehem fil-konsultazzjoni pubblika u ghal dan l-iskop hejjiet dokument bil-proposti taghha li dwaru tistenna li jkollha diskussjonjijiet mal-Gvern.

 

Carmel Cacopardo Deputat Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika emfasizza li m’huwiex ghaqli li l-awtorita regolatorja dwar il-partiti politici u l-finanzjament taghhom tkun il-Kummissjoni Elettorali. Alternattiva Demokratika qed tipproponi li jkun il-Kummissarju dwar l-Istandards fil-Hajja Pubblika. Il-Kummissjoni Elettorali hi taht il-kontroll esklussiv tal-partiti politici fil-Parlament izda l-Kummissarju dwar l-Istandards fil-Hajja Pubblika, meta jinhatar, bil-qbil ta’ zewg terzi tal-membri tal-Parlament ghandu jkun mhux biss persuna ta’ integrita izda fuq kollox persuna accettabbli ghal faxxa iktar wiesa’ ta’ nies.

 

Cacopardo zied jghid illi l-White Paper titkellem ukoll dwar ir-registrazzjoni tal-Partiti u tidhol f’numru ta’ dettalji dwar kif ghandhom ikunu organizzati. Alternattiva Demokratika filwaqt li taqbel mal-proposta ta’ registrazzjoni tal-partiti jidhrilha li l-White Paper tidhol f’hafna dettalji zejda. Kien ikun hafna ahjar kieku illimitat ruhha ghall-essenzjali. Hemm qbil li r-registrazzjoni tal-partiti ghandha tezigi li l-partiti jkunu demokratici fil-hsieb u fil-forma imma ma hemm l-ebda htiega li din tidhol ukoll fid-dettall ta’ kif tahdem l-organizzazzjoni interna ta’ partit politiku.

 

Hemm il-periklu, zied jghid Cacopardo, li ma tittiehidx konsiderazzjoni tad-differenzi fid-daqs tal-partiti u allura ukoll fir-rizorsi li ghandhom. Filwaqt li Alternattiva Demokratika tifhem u taccetta li l-kontijiet tal-partiti ghandhom ikunu soggetti ghal verifika hu innutat li l-White Paper ma tiddistingwix bejn il-partiti l-kbar li ghandhom turnover ta’ miljuni fis-sena u Alternattiva Demokratika li t-turnover taghha ma jaqbizx il-€15,000 fis-sena.   F’dan ir-rigward Alternattiva Demokratika qed tipproponi li fil-kaz ta’ partiti politici li t-turnover annwali taghhom ma jaqbizx il-€100,000, l-ispejjes konnessi mal-verifika annwali jithallsu mir-regolatur.

 

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

 

Cassola zied jghid illi l-White Paper ma titkellimx dwar self mill-partiti politici u in partikolari tinjora l-possibilita li s-self jista’ jintuza biex jostor donazzjonijiet u b’hekk tkunu evitati l-proceduri ta’ trasparenza. Il-White Paper l-anqas ma tezamina l-kontrolli mehtiega fuq l-attivita’ kummercjali tal-partiti kif l-anqas ma tezamina kif jista’ jkun hemm iktar kontrolli effettivi dwar l-uzu mill-partiti politici ta’ propjeta pubblika.

 

Fl-ahharnett Cassola tkellem dwar l-infieq permissibli fil-kampanja elettorali tad-diversi elezzjonijiet. Qal li l-ammonti li qed tipproponi l-White Paper huma gholjin wisq u ghandhom jonqsu minn dak propost. Alternattiva Demokratika qed tipproponi illi l-infieq tal-kandidati m’ghandux jaqbez l-€4,000 fil-kaz ta’ elezzjoni generali u €20,000 fil-kaz tal-elezzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew. L-infieq fil-kaz tal-elezzjonijiet tal-Kunsilli Lokali hu propost li jkun bejn €2,000 u €4,000 skond id-daqs tal-Kunsill. Cassola zied jghid li l-White Paper tinjora l-limitu necessarju ta’ infieq mill-partiti politici fl-elezzjonijiet. Dan m’huwiex accettabbli u jehtieg li jkun rimedjat meta titfassal il-ligi.

 

Arnold Cassola temm jghid li matul il-gimghat li gejjin Alternattiva Demokratika tistenna illi tiddiskuti l-veduti taghha mal-Gvern.

 

It-test tad-dokument ipprezentat lill-Gvern jista’ jinqara hawn: Finanzjament.finali.mt.

 

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