The European Union Elections Observer Mission (EU EOM) in their final report on the Sierra Leone’s 2018 Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Council elections recommended that in order to increase transparency, the effective auditing and publication of the income and expenditures of political parties and candidates should be enforced.
“This could include a panel of independent auditors to be appointed in advance and or to give the Anti-Corruption Commission a mandate to cover campaign finances.”
The Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) is charged to regulate the activities of political parties. Section 21 of the Political Parties Act No. 3 of 2002 provides that detailed statements of all expenditures incurred either by the party or candidate 60 days after general elections should be provided to the Commission.
The EU report stated, “Parties are due to submit audited accounts to the PPRC after the campaign; but there is no enforcement mechanisms for this, and the requirement is not universally respected… nor are there any restrictions on spending.” The report further revealed that campaign finance is not regulated in practice and that the sole restriction on donations to political parties is that the donor should be eligible to be a registered voter. This “has the effect of preventing donations from non-citizens; but it enables the large diaspora community to have a disproportionate influence, especially over the smaller parties.”
Citing relevant international and regional principles, the report stated, “Political parties may receive private financial donations. Donations from foreign States or enterprises must however be prohibited. This prohibition should not prevent financial donations from nationals living abroad. Other limitations may also be envisaged and such may consist notably of a maximum level for each contribution, a prohibition of contributions from enterprises of an industrial or commercial nature or from religious organisations and prior control of contributions by members of parties who wish to stand as candidates in elections by public organs specialised in electoral matters.
BM/16/6/18
By Betty Milton
Monday June 18, 2018.
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