http://www.b92.net/english/news/
b92_focus.php?yyyy=2003&mm=12&nav_id=26140
B92 Focus, December 2003.
Campaign cash
Serbia’s sacred cow | December 24, 2003.
While westerners traditionally shy away from questions about religion,
sex and income, Serbia’s great taboo – at least as far as public
discussion goes – is the question of political campaign financing. B92
asked around this week about where the money comes from for the
eighteen parties contesting this week’s parliamentary election.
Serbia for the past two weeks has been awash with billboards, posters
and a flood of political advertising on radio and television. The
larger of the eighteen parties standing in the parliamentary elections
on December 18 have also mounted major campaign rallies in Belgrade and
other centres. But none of the parties are willing to talk much about
where the money comes from.
The new Party Finance Act introduces restrictions on the source of
funds for parties and campaign, but does not come into effect until the
new year – too late for this election.
While party campaign managers spoken to by B92 this week couldn’t – or
wouldn’t – say how much money has been spent so far or who their donors
are, some did promise that final figures might be announced after the
elections.
Democratic Alternative campaign manager Radisa Blagojevic, who has
saturated media with the party’s advertisements, says the financing
comes from a number of sources, including donations.
“We are giving the impression that we are everywhere: we have charted
the media map of Serbia and billboards have been strategically
positioned,” he told B92.
Blagojevic claimed that the Democratic Alternative had introduced a
novel, but simple method of campaign financing.
“It was agreed that, before the campaign began, each of the 15,000
party members should pay a thousand dinars (about 15 euros). Further
up the hierarchy, local branches were obliged to collect 100,000
dinars, city branches three times that sum and MP candidates were
required to find donations of at least 1,000 euros,” he said.
Otpor, the former student movement now turned political party, has
announced that its campaign costs are about 1,250 euros per day and
have called on other parties to publish their expenses.
But the Democratic Alternative campaign manager said that such data was
not available to him at this point.
This was echoed by Democratic Party campaign chief Milos Jeftic, who
said however that the party had decided the campaign should not be
overly expensive. As a framework for securing finance, said Jeftic,
the regulations of the new legislation were followed, although the Act
has not yet come into force.
“The law prescribes membership fees as the sole source for finance. We
have more than 130,000 members and we think the donations we are
receiving from individuals and organisations for this campaign are
quite enough to finance it,” he said.
Both the Democrats and the Democratic Alternative say they receive no
donations from abroad, although Jeftic says he cannot be certain of
this because he is not involved in party finance.
Like Blagojevic, Jeftic pledged to announce the Democrats’ campaign
budget after December 28.
Asked to comment on reports that some parties are being financed from
sources outside the law, Blagojevic was dismissive.
“I’m not saying there is no possibility of that but I am seriously
saying that the Democratic Alternative has no problem with finances
from the grey area, nor do we have any contact with such people.
“I think that the creativity of the party is the main factor
influencing the campaign and its content,” he said.
The new legislation which comes into force three days after the
election prohibits foreign financing and puts restrictions on the size
of donations from individuals and organisations.
But in the meantime, the source of party financing remains the one
untouchable topic in this election campaign.
b92_focus.php?yyyy=2003&mm=12&nav_id=26140
B92 Focus, December 2003.
Campaign cash
Serbia’s sacred cow | December 24, 2003.
While westerners traditionally shy away from questions about religion,
sex and income, Serbia’s great taboo – at least as far as public
discussion goes – is the question of political campaign financing. B92
asked around this week about where the money comes from for the
eighteen parties contesting this week’s parliamentary election.
Serbia for the past two weeks has been awash with billboards, posters
and a flood of political advertising on radio and television. The
larger of the eighteen parties standing in the parliamentary elections
on December 18 have also mounted major campaign rallies in Belgrade and
other centres. But none of the parties are willing to talk much about
where the money comes from.
The new Party Finance Act introduces restrictions on the source of
funds for parties and campaign, but does not come into effect until the
new year – too late for this election.
While party campaign managers spoken to by B92 this week couldn’t – or
wouldn’t – say how much money has been spent so far or who their donors
are, some did promise that final figures might be announced after the
elections.
Democratic Alternative campaign manager Radisa Blagojevic, who has
saturated media with the party’s advertisements, says the financing
comes from a number of sources, including donations.
“We are giving the impression that we are everywhere: we have charted
the media map of Serbia and billboards have been strategically
positioned,” he told B92.
Blagojevic claimed that the Democratic Alternative had introduced a
novel, but simple method of campaign financing.
“It was agreed that, before the campaign began, each of the 15,000
party members should pay a thousand dinars (about 15 euros). Further
up the hierarchy, local branches were obliged to collect 100,000
dinars, city branches three times that sum and MP candidates were
required to find donations of at least 1,000 euros,” he said.
Otpor, the former student movement now turned political party, has
announced that its campaign costs are about 1,250 euros per day and
have called on other parties to publish their expenses.
But the Democratic Alternative campaign manager said that such data was
not available to him at this point.
This was echoed by Democratic Party campaign chief Milos Jeftic, who
said however that the party had decided the campaign should not be
overly expensive. As a framework for securing finance, said Jeftic,
the regulations of the new legislation were followed, although the Act
has not yet come into force.
“The law prescribes membership fees as the sole source for finance. We
have more than 130,000 members and we think the donations we are
receiving from individuals and organisations for this campaign are
quite enough to finance it,” he said.
Both the Democrats and the Democratic Alternative say they receive no
donations from abroad, although Jeftic says he cannot be certain of
this because he is not involved in party finance.
Like Blagojevic, Jeftic pledged to announce the Democrats’ campaign
budget after December 28.
Asked to comment on reports that some parties are being financed from
sources outside the law, Blagojevic was dismissive.
“I’m not saying there is no possibility of that but I am seriously
saying that the Democratic Alternative has no problem with finances
from the grey area, nor do we have any contact with such people.
“I think that the creativity of the party is the main factor
influencing the campaign and its content,” he said.
The new legislation which comes into force three days after the
election prohibits foreign financing and puts restrictions on the size
of donations from individuals and organisations.
But in the meantime, the source of party financing remains the one
untouchable topic in this election campaign.