President of the CEC Prevents Sanctioning of Political Parties

Banja Luka, 29th November 2012.- The Persident of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Branko Petric by refusing to put on the agenda of the CEC the decision on sanctioning of 13 political parties for violation of provisions of the Law on Financing of Political Parties,  prepared by the Audit Service, put himself directly in the service of protection of political paties, especially SNSD,SDP and HDZ 1990 for which monetray sanctioncs should have been imposed.

Namely, the Audit Service has established that 13 political parties are responsible for violation of the Law on Financing of Political Parties in BiH. The investigation was opened on the basis of irregularities in found in the audit of the Annul Financial Reports for 2010. and post-ellection financial reports (General Election 2010). These irregularities have been related to profit gained from assets not owned by the political parties, inadequate transaction records such as absence of bills for paid services, unreported donations and contributions from prohibited sources.

The Audit Service in accordance with the conclusion from the CEC assembly, held on 16th August 2012, instituted procedings against 32 political parties on suspicon of violating the Law on Financing of Political Paries in BIH. So far 13 cases have been completes and proposed penalties range from 500 to 30,000KM, but official verdict has been prevented.

Considering the fact that the new Law on Financing of Political Parties  in BiH, published in the Official Gazette on 27th November 2012, has considerably milder than the former one and majority of committed offenses would not be sanctioned by its implementation, there is a resonable suspicion  that the President of the CEC is waiting for  5th December  2012., when the implementation of the new Law starts, in order to prevent sanctioning of the political parties for detected and irregularities determineded during the control of their financial operations in 2010.

Transparency Internationa of Bosnia and Herzegovina calls on members of the Central Election Commission to demand an emergency meeting and decide whether to sanction 13 political parties for the irregularities detected in 2010., highlighting that they cannot implement provisions of the new Law on Financing of Political Parties for offences committed two years ago.