ABSTRACTThis study contains a compilation of conclusions regarding expenditures on the 8th Saeima (Parliament) election campaign, and recommendations for legislators and regulatory institutions to promote future transparency in political party financing, and to limit the increasingly high cost of pre-election campaigns and the dependency of parties on sponsors. The project recommends a ban on paid advertising in the electronic mass media as the most effective solution. Such a solution is in force in ten European countries.
Data for this study was obtained using an independent register of pre-election advertising paid for by political parties and its cost from January to October 5, 2002, (carried out by Baltic Media Facts and Observer). The results thus obtained were compared to the official declarations submitted by the parties and media. Considerable inconsistencies were noted: although the project registered only advertisements in the media, the calculated costs were one and a half times greater than the advertising expenses declared by the nine parties with the largest expenditures. This allows for the conclusion that not all parties fully declared their expenditures, some filled out the declarations incorrectly and it is possible that considerable advertising expenses were placed in the category of the “hidden economy”.
According to the calculations of the project, the cost of the 8th Saeima election campaign could have been around 6.3 million lats or almost five lats per voter, which is several times more than in other European countries. The study also provides other recommendations and extensive information on the data obtained by the project.
Analysis of Expenditures for the 8th Saeima Elections