Podgorica, (MINA) - The Center for Democratic Transition (CDT) has called on the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK) to publish the contracts and accompanying documentation on the basis of which political parties awarded donations and aid to third parties in the previous year and to clarify whether these donations are in accordance with the law.

CDT Deputy Executive Director Milena Gvozdenovic said that data showing political parties donated hundreds of thousands of Euros to various organizations, sports clubs and individuals, raises serious questions about how parties spend money that predominantly comes from state and local budgets.

She recalled that the State Audit Institution, in the process of auditing the parties’ financial reports, pointed to the cases in which parties failed to provide supporting documentation to justify donations and aid paid to various individuals and legal entities.

Gvozdenovic argued that, beyond this, the justification of such decisions and the interest of political parties to allocate funds to those selected of their own choice is equally important.

According to her, funds for the regular work of political entities are not intended as a pool for arbitrary distribution, but as public financing of democracy.

Gvozdenovic said that the opportunity to improve oversight of financing or sanctioning abuses through law had been missed, leaving the system that should monitor the implementation largerly intact.

She added that this is precisely why the European Commission called for additional amendments to the Law on the Financing of Political Entities and Election Campaigns, asking for a substantial increase in transparency and control of party spending.

“Such cases of party donations further confirm the appeals of international partners and the domestic public for further changes to electoral laws”, stated Gvozdenovic.