By Authorities
In some jurisdictions, information must be given to a regulatory authority to ensure compliance with the various regulations relating to political financing. However, this information is not made public or is made public only in summary.
For example, in Germany, 'the parties must submit annual statements of accounts to the Speaker of the Bundestag, who publishes them as a legislative document. A certified accountant must have certified these financial statements. A more detailed explanation of the party finances is not made public. The accuracy of the report is only guaranteed through the certifying accountant who has access to all the relevant information and documentation. In comparison to American standards, the German disclosure requirements and reporting procedures are minimal'.56
By Public
Even where information is available to the public in the form of official returns or reports, there are wide variations in the ease of access that is offered. There are three main levels of access.
1. Where information is available at a government office but where each member of the public must visit the office in person to see the information. This may be especially onerous if information is held in a large number of different offices.
2. Where information is published in an official report.
3. Where special measures are taken to make information readily available, particularly on the internet, and where records of donations above the disclosure threshold are computerised and are thus easy to locate through electronic search (by name, address, amount, date of donation, etc.). The United States Federal Election Commission is an example of a regulatory organisation that has gone to great lengths to make large amounts of information available to members of the public. The effectiveness of the disclosure operation is limited, however, by the fact that the disclosure rules are riddled with holes. Thus a great deal is known about only a portion of political payments.
By Media
Unless there is a hint of scandal, newspapers are unlikely to publish details of official reports by candidates of their election expenses. If, therefore, the regulatory authorities wish to ensure that these reports are widely circulated, they may stipulate that they have to be published in some newspapers.
In Greece, every candidate is obliged to publish a summary of his campaign expenditures in two newspapers in his electoral district. However, in the elections that were held in 1989 and 1993, many candidates failed to comply with this requirement. Out of 300 deputies elected, only 200 complied upon expiration of the reporting deadline and only after repeated requests by the Speaker of the Parliament. 57
In Egypt, donations to parties equivalent to at least US $150 must be reported in newspapers. This provision has been criticised as a device to limit contributions to opposition parties. The argument for this view is, first, that it imposes additional costs on parties receiving political contributions and, second, it inhibits would-be donors, who are likely to be reluctant to see their active support for anti-government parties advertised in this way.
Draft Only
