EUGENIO MARTÍNEZ
EL UNIVERSAL

Amidst soaring propaganda expenses, presidential hopefuls in Venezuela have resorted to private financing sources as the key in the current electoral campaign ahead of next December 3rd vote.

A full-page advertisement in Venezuelan newspapers costs some USD 5,000 to USD 8,000. A 30-second spot in domestic TV channels ranges between USD 5,000 -in local TV news network Globovisión- and USD 33,000 -in local TV channel Venevisión. Advertisement spots in radio cost some USD 500. Posters and placards posted outdoors, and stages for massive electioneering events may cost some USD 466,000-USD 932,000.

Such figures show that funding political parties is a need in democracy. In fact, most government control systems have chosen to set a cap on electoral campaign expenses. Their goal is to prevent leading parties to fall into the temptation of making irregular deals, facilitating vote buying or giving some voters (their financiers) more decision power than the other voters.

In Latin America, Venezuela is the only country that does not set a ceiling -at least officially- on candidates' expenses.

The directors of the National Electoral Council (CNE) last July unsuccessfully tried to draft a provision to govern campaign expenses. They pondered the possibility to set a USD 8 million cap on expenses.

Non-governmental organization Transparencia claims that electoral regulations in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru have fixed limits on campaign expenses.

Curiously, four Latin American countries -Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru- do allow political parties to take anonymous donations for campaigns.

However, all of the countries in the region ban foreign funding of political campaigns and activities.

Political parties are requested to deliver to the relevant electoral authorities an annual report of revenues and expenses of the last fiscal year validated by a certified public accountant. In election years, parties are also requested to submit a statement of their electoral campaign expenses.

The only country where political activity is not accountable is Venezuela. Therefore, it is impossible to determine whether political parties are given donations from foreigners, anonymous givers, public agencies or companies doing business with the government.

Worldwide
Electoral information network ACE notices that only 27 countries worldwide refuse to fund political parties, thus forcing them to seek private and anonymous contributors. Besides Venezuela, other countries in this list are Bahamas, Belarus, Fiji, Ghana, Jordan, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Samoa, Saint Lucia, Sierra Leona, Somalia, Uganda and Zambia.

emartinez@eluniversal.com

Translated by Maryflor Suárez
msuarez@eluniversal.com