The presentation of a study by IDEA and the Organization of American States on the financing of political activity in Latin America paved the way for further debate on the subject in Bolivia and provided an opportunity to discuss International IDEA’s work and its plans for activities in Bolivia.
The study is part of the Ágora Democrática programme’s efforts to increase financial transparency.
“From Norms to Good Practices: The Challenge of Political Financing in Latin America,” was presented at round-table discussions organized by the National Electoral Court, the National Democratic Institute and IFES - democracy at large and the departmental electoral courts in Sucre, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba in mid-May. The events were attended by judges and representatives of political parties and civil society organizations.
"The seminars were an opportunity for citizens’ groups to understand and talk about this topic," said attorney Jorge Valladares, a consultant for IDEA Peru. "It served as an initial step for IDEA to begin to establish contacts with parties on this issue, and we expect to go into greater depth on it in the future."
The study covers types of political financing, parties' access to the media, accountability, oversight and a gender perspective in political financing. It also includes subregional analyses for Mesoamerica, the Dominican Republic, the Andean countries and the Southern Cone, as well as a comparative study of party funding and electoral campaigns throughout the region.
The discussions came amid political turmoil in Bolivia, where the last president, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, was forced to resign in 2003, just over a year after having been elected, and his successor, President Carlos Mesa, has threatened to call early elections. The next elections may bring additional changes, because candidates representing citizens’ groups can now run for office. Until last year, such groups had to work through political parties.
For more information, contact Kristen Sample, International IDEA’s director for the Andean Region.
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