Government defines rules for financing referendum campaigns

The government sent to parliament on Thursday a bill on the financing of political activity, election campaigns and referendums, defining for the first time the way of financing referendum campaigns.

"This matter hasn't been regulated to date," Public Administration Minister Arsen Bauk said at a Cabinet session.

The bill establishes the obligation to open a special account for the financing of referendum activities and referendum campaigning, the obligation to submit financial reports and to report donations, costs and media advertising of referendum activities and referendum campaigning.

Financing will be supervised by the State Electoral Commission.

The bill proposes that given their importance the maximum costs of campaigning in elections for the European Parliament be raised from HRK 1.5 million to HRK 4 million. "This, of course, doesn't mean that parties must not spend less than the present 1.5 million kuna," Bauk said.

The amount of money earmarked in the budget for the regular annual financing of political parties would no longer be defined on the basis of budget expenditure but on the basis of tax revenues.

"We set that amount at 0.08% of tax revenues generated, but not more than 50 million kuna. Using this formula, the amount would be roughly the same as it has been so far, but in our opinion, this is a better way to define this amount," the minister said.

(EUR 1 = HRK 7.6)

(Hina) vm

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