“DS must repay loan from other sources”

BELGRADE -- The Anti-Corruption Agency says parties should not repay loans for election campaigns with the funds it gets from the budget for its regular work.

(Tanjug, file)

The Agency noted that parties had to repay such loans from other financing sources.

The Anti-Corruption Agency issued a statement on the occasion of the request of the Democratic Party (DS) that the Finance Ministry should direct the funds, which the party gets every month for financing of its regular activities, to repay the loan it took for financing of last year's election campaign.

All DS' accounts are blocked due to its outstanding debt raised with the Development Bank of Vojvodina amounting to RSD 335.4mn (around EUR 3mn).

The Agency said that the costs of the election campaign were covered five days after the announcement of the election results.

Moreover, the Agency said that the loan taken for the financing of the election campaign should not be repaid with the money received from the budget for regular work.

“Political entities should have different accounts for financing of costs of their regular work and each election campaign in which they partake,” the statement reads.

The Agency also underlined that the law envisaged that the funds for financing of regular work or costs of the election campaign of each party could be secured by taking loans with banks and other financial organizations in Serbia.

However, the law is not explicit about the deadline and from which account and from what sources funds can be taken to repay a loan that a party has taken for financing of the costs of the election campaign.

“This can create uncertainties in the implementation which should be eradicated by creating precise legal regulations,” the Anti-Corruption Agency concluded.