Parties cagey over naming backers

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) says that there is no need for it to publish the list of its financial backers on its website. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) does not wish to jeopardize the security of its sponsors by publishing names and companies. Parties cagey over naming backers It is well-documented that tycoons play a key role in financing virtually all the political parties. However, the names of well-known Serbian businessmen in reports on the financing of political parties remain a secret. All the parties claim that they are not hiding the names of tycoons in their official reports because, they say, they are not receiving money from them. Vojislav Kostunica’s DSS says that the identity of its backers is no secret. He says that the DSS has submitted its report to all the competent institutions. According to DSS MP Milos Aligrudic, publishing these names on the party website is unnecessary. “Certain political parties, for whatever reason, see the need to publish that on their websites. We don’t see that need. I think that all of you... can find those details out from the competent authorities at any time of day, under the Law on Access to Public Information.“ “We see no reason, nor do we feel accused of anything, nor obliged when it comes to specific financing, to have to publish the names of these people,“ he insisted. The LDP says that the information on their parties’ financiers are public knowledge and should be published by the National Bank of Serbia, adding that the parliamentary Finance Committee also possesses them. The party will not do so itself for security fears. “When the government in this country is in a position to answer at least one of the hundred questions that we’ve asked since the LDP’s premises were ransacked, we’ll be the first to say who the people helping the LDP materially are. Not just with money, but in other ways,“ said party leader Cedomir Jovanovic. Both the LDP and the DSS claim that their reports do not feature any high profile names. The Democratic Party’s (DS) report on its backers, published on its website, features few household names and is made up almost entirely of unknown names and small provincial companies. The DS says it is willing to prove the authenticity of its list in court. “The DS has been submitting its reports for years and vouches for their authenticity. So, we’ve published the report, we say that the data there is accurate, and we expect other parties to be brave enough to do the same themselves,“ said DS spokeswoman Jelena Trivan. Vojislav Kostunica (Tanjug, archive)

Parties cagey over naming backers

It is well-documented that tycoons play a key role in financing virtually all the political parties. However, the names of well-known Serbian businessmen in reports on the financing of political parties remain a secret. All the parties claim that they are not hiding the names of tycoons in their official reports because, they say, they are not receiving money from them.

Vojislav Koštunica’s DSS says that the identity of its backers is no secret.

He says that the DSS has submitted its report to all the competent institutions. According to DSS MP Miloš Aligrudić, publishing these names on the party website is unnecessary.

“Certain political parties, for whatever reason, see the need to publish that on their websites. We don’t see that need. I think that all of you... can find those details out from the competent authorities at any time of day, under the Law on Access to Public Information.“

“We see no reason, nor do we feel accused of anything, nor obliged when it comes to specific financing, to have to publish the names of these people,“ he insisted.

The LDP says that the information on their parties’ financiers are public knowledge and should be published by the National Bank of Serbia, adding that the parliamentary Finance Committee also possesses them. The party will not do so itself for security fears.

“When the government in this country is in a position to answer at least one of the hundred questions that we’ve asked since the LDP’s premises were ransacked, we’ll be the first to say who the people helping the LDP materially are. Not just with money, but in other ways,“ said party leader Čedomir Jovanović.

Both the LDP and the DSS claim that their reports do not feature any high profile names.

The Democratic Party’s (DS) report on its backers, published on its website, features few household names and is made up almost entirely of unknown names and small provincial companies. The DS says it is willing to prove the authenticity of its list in court.

“The DS has been submitting its reports for years and vouches for their authenticity. So, we’ve published the report, we say that the data there is accurate, and we expect other parties to be brave enough to do the same themselves,“ said DS spokeswoman Jelena Trivan.