Prague, Jan 1 (CTK) – Czech political parties will be allowed to invest 90 million crowns at most on their general election campaign as from this year, according to an amendment to the law on political parties and movements that takes effect yesterday.
The limitation applies to most elections. They new model will be premiered before the autumn general election. It can be projected into lower investments in billboards.
In 2010, the two strongest parties at that time invested a total of 350 million crowns in their campaigns. The Social Democrats (CSSD) spent 200 million crowns on the campaign and the Civic Democrats (ODS) 150 million.
The other parties invested less. Their investments totalled almost haff a billion crowns.
Critics of the amendment say it will be possible to bypass the new rules.
The limit for the regional elections is set at seven million crowns per region.
The person running for the Senate should not spend moree than 2.5 million crowns on their campaign.
The 50 million cap for the European elections is to be observed by the presidential candidates as well.
The limits do not apply to the local elections and the election to the assembly of the capital of Prague even though it palys the role of a regional authority.
The citizens, associations and firms who will not be running in elections will be limited in their support for a party or candidate.
The Chamber of Deputies limit is 1.8 million crowns and 50,000 crowns applies to the Senate election.
The persons not running in elections will have to register with the emerging office supervising parties’s financial management.
Parties’ bail for the general and European elections has been raised from 15,000 to 19,000 crowns, which the Interior Ministry justified by inflation.
($1=24.820 crowns)
ms/dr
