The Labour Party (PL) has failed to say whether businessmen donated money during their December fundraising marathon, choosing instead to say whether that it is "legally bound... to collect its donations under the parameters of the said law...also to present a detailed report of the fundraising event".
The Malta Independent asked whether the PL received any hefty donations from businessmen, if so – who they were and how much they contributed.
In response, a PL spokesperson replied:
"The Labour Party is legally bound, following the enactment of the Party Financing Law by this Government, not only to collect its donations under the parametres of the said law, but also to present a detailed report of the fund rasing marathon within specific timlines.
"Labour intends following the law, contrary to the Nationalist Party which issued the cedoli to circumelvent it."
When asking the same question to the President of the Nationalist Party (PN) Executive Ann Fenech, she said that none of the €417,000 collected by the PN during the latest fund-raising marathon held at Dar Centrali came from contractors.
The cedoli scheme being referred to allows for loans of €10,000 that the PN will repay over the next 10 years at an interest of four per cent. It has been heavily been criticised by the government and the PL for its lack of transparency.
According to the political party financing law which was introduced by this government, all donations have to be registered in the books of the political parties. During a fundraising activity, a party can accept donations of up to €50 without the need of an individual registration. Parties can also accept donations between €50 to €500 without being obliged to report every specific donation to the electoral commission but could report just the global amount of these donations.
If the electoral commission had proof that a donation was declared to be under €500 but was in fact over that amount, it has the right to insist to see the register of these donations in order to verify them, the parties will be obliged to keep a record of donations between €50 and €500.
For donations between €500 and €7,000, parties are not obliged to reveal the source to the commission, but are not allowed to receive such donations confidentially. Donations greater than this amount are required to be reported to the commission immediately, with the source made known.
The PL received roughly €600,000 during this month's event, while in December 2015 it received €561,139. In June 2015, it had received €192, 180, therefore it has made significant grounds in the collection of funds.
from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/2i2gJS6
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