Prague, March 22 (CTK) – A group of Czech senators, headed by representatives of the Mayors and Independents (STAN) movement, sent a proposal to abolish a part of the law on financing political parties to the Constiutional Court (US) on Wednesday, MEP and STAN deputy head Stanislav Polcak has told CTK.
They attacked the provisions which they say restrict smaller parties in taking out loans and the cap on the financing of parties from the state budget.
The senators propose that the provision according to which parties must gain at least 3 percent of the vote in the general election to be entitled to a state subsidy be abolished.
Polcak, who participated in drafting the complaint, said this deepens the gap between parties.
“The limit is too high and if you do not gain 3 percent, the differnces are many times bigger,” Polcak said.
He said the senators will release details on Thursday.
Parties that win at least 3 percent of the vote get six million crowns annually. The contribution rises with every tenth of percent by 200,000 crowns annually to the maximum of 5 percent, which is the parliamentary barrier.
Parties in parliament get annually eight million crowns.
The senators also want the US to abolish the provision according to which only banks with a licence from the central bank can lend money to parties.
Polcak said this means that parties cannot borrow money from their members.
The senators also attacked the limit to financial gifts, according to which parties only can accept maximally three million crowns from a donor annually. This also concerns cooperating parties.
“We consider this a limitation of the free competition of political parties if they cannot donate themselves more than three million annually,” Polcak said.
The senators also object to the rules for financing parties’ political institutes which focus on publication, cultural or educational activities. Only four parties represented in the Chamber of Deputies could gain the subsidy.
