The political parties can annually receive financing from the state budget through the Central Election Commission. The size of allocations is set in the state budget law and cannot be larger than 0.2% of the state budget incomes. The MPs adopted the bill on party financing, which contains amendments to the Electoral Code and the Penal Code, in the final reading on March 19, IPN reports.
50% of the financing will be provided to the parties proportionally to their score in the parliamentary elections, while 50 % – proportionally to their score in the local general elections. In the case of electoral blocs, the allocation will be divided based on the agreement reached by the members of the bloc. If such an agreement does not exist, the money will be divided according to the number of seats won by each component.
The parties lose the right to get allocations from the state budget if their activity was limited, if they lose the legal personality, if they are in the process of liquidation or if they were banned from receiving financing. The election runners that withdraw their candidacy must pay back the money allocated from the state budget for campaigning within two months of the withdrawal of the candidacy.
The article added to the Penal Code stipulates that if the allocations from the state budget for parties or the money from the electoral fund are misused and if considerable damage is caused, those to blame are fined 60,000 to 100,000 lei or jailed for one to five years, in both of the cases being banned from holding particular posts or performing particular activities for a period of two to five years.
Under the law, the donations made by private individuals and legal entities for the electoral fund cannot exceed 200 and, respectively, 400 average monthly official salaries for the given year.
Liberal MP Valeriu Munteanu said the cap on such donations was raised artificially. In the EU there is a tendency to prevent private individuals and legal entities from donating large sums so that these could not influence the parties after elections.
Socialist MP Vasile Bolea said the voting process was incorrect as fewer than the announced 56 MPs voted.
The bill will take effect in six months of the adoption, while its provisions concerning financing from the state budget – on January 1, 2016.
