This Is Money Politics
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NUMBER 14 Botim i Qendrës Kosovare për Gazetari Hulumtuese (QKGH). Paper edited by: John F. Millikin; Photogrphy: Lorik Bajrami; Reporters: Besa Kalaja; Besnik Boletini; PERIODIC GAZETTE OCTOBER 2015 Leonida Molliqaj; Kosovare Lalinovci; Qendrim Bunjaku. Phone: 038 248 506. E-mail: [email protected]. www.preportr.com OVER 220 MILLION TO POLITICAL PARTIES’ FINANCIERS this is money politics BESA KALAJA, QËNDRIM BUNJAKU, KOSOVARE LALINOVCI, LEONIDA MOLLIQAJ OCTOBER 2015| NR 14 2 PERIODIC GAZETTE Money politics Political party donors gained about 220 million Euros from public tenders in the course of a period of time between August 2007 and May 2014. Preportr research shows that PDK donors lead in terms of the total amount gained from public tenders. Vetëvendosje! donors are the second, followed by AAK, AKR, and LDK donors as the last one in this list. BESA KALAJA, QËNDRIM BUNJAKU, KOSOVARE LALINOVCI, LEONIDA MOLLIQAJ If money translates into in- whereas LVV donors received of parliamentary parties (apart the Kosovo Assembly has not yet ments, this was not the case with fluence which enables seizing of around 60 million Euros from from those that appear on the of- managed to select auditors to per- the other three parties, the LDK, a public good, then the best chan- public tenders. The total amount ficial site of the CEC), the list of form the audit of annual financial AKR, and AAK, even though they nel to realize a gain appears to be that donors of the other three po- assets registered in the name of statements and expenditures of were part of the government for through a political party. The fi- litical parties (LDK, AAK, and the party, bank accounts, bank political parties during elections a long time. In this aspect, data nancing of political parties, es- AKR) gained is less than 14 mil- transactions, the account of the for the years 2013 and 2014. shows that LDK donors in partic- pecially during electoral cam- lion Euros. The Democratic Par- party at KTA, lists of people who ular gained the least from public paigns, proves to be the quickest ty of Kosovo and Vetëvendosje!, get their salaries from the party, Nature of funding of political par- tenders. A concrete case for this and the safest way possible to re- besides a rather similar financing access to the entire party archive ties is the Municipality of Prishtina, alize profit on an investment. Fi- physiognomy, have even the same related to the list of donors since The report shows that the two which, though run by the LDK nancial support for political par- donors in certain cases. The Dem- party establishment (physical and main sources of funding of polit- since after the war, gave more ties and candidates during elec- ocratic League of Kosovo, even legal entities), the full list of con- ical parties come from the pub- than 13 million Euros of pub- toral campaigns might not have though second in row in terms tributions received from private lic budget, and external donors lic tenders to PDK donors. The a huge influence on the final elec- of the number of votes, declared companies which have contracts in the form of cash or contribu- data show that LDK donors re- tion result, but Preportr findings the least income from donors, with state institutions, and ac- tions in goods and services. In this ceived 419,631 Euros from pub- prove that political party support- and consequently its financers cess to receipts archives related line, the PDK and Vetëvendosje! lic tenders; AAK donors received ers were exponentially compen- gained the least from public ten- to goods and services contract- have a similar nature of funding, 9,767,240 Euros, whereas AKR sated through public tenders for ders. The two other parties, AAK ed by the party. (i.e. for the two political parties donors received 3,089,817 Euros. their contributions. and AKR, are based on donations Preportr waited for an answer the main sources of funding come The LDK and AAK declare Based on data subject to Pre- coming mainly from party mem- for nine months, but despite some from the state budget, and differ- most of their incomes as incomes portr research, in the course of bers – in the case of the AAK – efforts, no parliamentary politi- ent donors which are at the same from the budget, but even in cases seven years (August 2007 - May or relatives of the president – in cal party allowed access to this time the main beneficiaries of mil- when they declare income from 2014), it turns out that some po- the case of AKR, which makes information and the requested lions of Euros from the public donations, most of those are un- litical party donors - business en- the latter mainly a party of fam- documents. OSCE replied that budget.) The Democratic Party der the names of party members. tities and owners – gained around ily donations. they have submitted to the CEC of Kosovo and Vetëvendosje! de- In the audit report of 2009, the 220 million Euros in the form Due to lack of access to offi- all annual financial reports of po- clare income from external physi- LDK declared income from the of public tenders. The research cial data of all contributors to po- litical parties, including expendi- cal entities, not excluding private selling of assets without men- shows that donors of the Dem- litical parties related to the peri- ture reports during electoral cam- businesses, as their donors with tioning said asset that was sold. ocratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), od between 2000 and 2008, ÇO- paigns for the period from 2000- much higher amounts compared These incomes constitute more which ran the government of HU! and the Kosovo Center for 2008. The latter declared to have to other political parties. than 50% of LDK income for the Kosovo for seven years, are on Investigative Journalism submit- destroyed these reports as a result Preportr research showed that 2009 campaign. In the case of the top of the list of winners of pub- ted several requests for access to of a lack of space to archive them. the donors of the biggest polit- AAK, we come across 4-5 names lic tenders, followed by donors of public documents to the Central In terms of an audit of annual ical rival of the PDK, Vetëven- that are in high positions in the Vetëvendosje! (LVV). Donors of Election Commission – CEC, and financial statements and expen- dosje!, besides being the same as party, and most of the incomes the Democratic League of Kosovo Organization for Security and ditures during local and national the ones of PDK in certain cas- listed as donations are declared (LDK), Alliance for the Future of Cooperation in Europe - OSCE, elections for 2013 and 2014, due es, are second in the list to gain under their names. Kosovo (AAK), and New Koso- but also to parliamentary parties to lack of constituting of institu- the most tenders from public in- A completely different na- vo Alliance (AKR) gained far less involved in this research. tions for six months, the Republic stitutions. The total amount of ture of funding is the party of Be- income from tenders compared These requests asked for: ac- of Kosovo Assembly did not man- tenders gained by PDK donors hgjet Pacolli, which, during the to donors of the PDK and LVV. cess to all audit reports (annu- age to engage auditors to audit is 162,517,080 Euros, whereas last election, did not even manage In total, Preportr was able to al financial reports and expen- financial statements of political LVV donors received 59,701,559 to pass the electoral threshold. show that PDK donors gained diture reports during elections) parties. However, though func- Euros. With many breaches of the law, more than 160 million Euros, since the time of establishment tional from December last year, According to official docu- relatives of the president of this OCTOBER 2015| NR 14 PERIODIC GAZETTE 3 PDK incomes (2009-2012) 2009 2010 2011 2012 1,060,500,00 BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET 557,063,93 557,068,88 479,239,00 MEMBERSHIP FEE MEMBERSHIP FEE MEMBERSHIP FEE MEMBERSHIP FEE 57,101,00 125,782,73 23,105,00 3,674,00 DONATIONS DONATIONS DONATIONS DONATIONS 30,757,84 351,784,73 41,510,00 36,847,00 CONTRIBUTIONS IN CONTRIBUTIONS IN CONTRIBUTIONS IN CONTRIBUTIONS IN GOODS AND SERVICES GOODS AND SERVICES GOODS AND SERVICES GOODS AND SERVICES 6,277,00 22,852,00 7,200,00 8,700,00 Source: Central Election Commission (CEC), financial reports and audits LVV incomes (2009-2012) In 2010, Self-Determination 2010 did not declare any income 2011 2012 form the state budget, since in this year it was registered BUDGET as a political subject at the BUDGET BUDGET THE INFORMATION CEC 27,336,62 465,499,70 IN THE GRAPHICS MEMBERSHIP FEE MEMBERSHIP FEE MEMBERSHIP FEE REPRESENTS THE 10,215,00 867,00 1,551,50 INCOMES OF DONATIONS DONATIONS DONATIONS POLITICAL 96,505,00 171,471,23 100,855,00 PARTIES DURING CONTRIBUTIONS IN CONTRIBUTIONS IN CONTRIBUTIONS IN GOODS AND SERVICES GOODS AND SERVICES GOODS AND SERVICES 2009-2012 7,111,72 65,445,90 495,71 Source: Central Election Commission (CEC), financial reports and audits party, Behgjet Pacolli, financed ty, and as compensation, they se- paigns with public tenders), po- lic institutions) regarding the this party. INCOMES DECLARED BY THE lectively win public tenders. This litical patronage (employing party benefits of PDK donors. The re- During research, Preportr kind of relationship is stretched members and supporters in civ- search found that the businesses LVV FROM LEGAL ENTITIES found several shortcomings in along all government levels, both il service, public companies and which funded the PDK received audit reports.