There is no politics without political parties. Parties help articulate the wishes of the people and transform them into policies. Parties are a central cog in the machine of democracy, and they need money to function properly. The MPs at the IPU Assembly swapped examples of party funding arrangements in their countries and some of the different safeguard mechanisms in place.
The money and resources could come from either public or private sources. A number of delegates spoke with concern about dubious sources for some of the funds. Many countries were grappling with money laundering, drug money and other proceeds from criminal and illegal activities. Where such money found its way into the political process it could be fatal to democracy.
Discussions also focused on the unhelpful role that some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and large corporate entities could play by unduly influencing the political process through generous funding of political parties. Views differed on the judiciousness of allowing funding from foreign sources but there was broad agreement that where such funding was allowed, great care should be taken to ensure that it was not used to unduly influence or subvert political and other outcomes.
Given that the purpose of public funding was to set a level playing field for all actors in the political process, special attention should be paid to women and the creation of conditions that would allow them to compete on an equal footing with men.
Participants underscored the importance of setting guidelines to foster transparency and accountability. They discussed limiting the amount of funding that could be received from different sources, the need for parties to disclose sources and amounts, and to report on how the money was used, especially when it came from the public purse.
As for mechanisms for sanctioning violations of funding regulations, participants were divided between instituting stringent punitive measures for defaulting parties, and establishing self-regulatory mechanisms, including codes of conduct for parties.
In any case, funding to political parties should aim primarily to give a voice to the people in the political and democratic process rather than subvert their will. Parliaments, together with NGOs and the media, could play a key role in building a culture of transparency and responsibility in political life.
The discussion of both election violence and party funding is still under way. Final resolutions will be debated at the 124th Assembly in Panama in April 2011.
