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Question	Value
1. Is there a ban on donations from foreign interests to political parties?	CodeYes Comment Persons with right to receive an alien passport are excepted from ban. Source
2. Is there a ban on donations from foreign interests to candidates?	CodeYes CommentAll financial activities by a candidate are considered as financial activities of his/her respective nominating political party. Source
3. Is there a ban on corporate donations to political parties?	CodeYes Comment No bans on corporate donations to political parties in law. Source
4. Is there a ban on corporate donations to candidates?	CodeYes CommentAll financial activities by a candidate are considered as financial activities of his/her respective nominating political party. Source
5. Is there a ban on donations from Trade Unions to political parties?	CodeYes Comment Source
6. Is there a ban on donations from Trade Unions to candidates?	CodeYes CommentAll financial activities by a candidate are considered as financial activities of his/her respective nominating political party. Source
7. Is there a ban on anonymous donations to political parties?	CodeYes Comment Source
8. Is there a ban on anonymous donations to candidates?	CodeYes CommentAccording to the law, all financial activities in relation to elections of a candidate will be considered as financial activities of a respective political party's from which list he/she participates. Source
9. Is there a ban on donations from corporations with government contracts to political parties?	CodeYes Comment All donations from corporations are banned. However state owned companies shall provide free or?subsidized?access to their premises for campaigning. Source Section 19:'Local governments, State and local government institutions, capital companies in which more than 50 per cent of capital shares (stocks) belong to the State or a local government, shall assign premises to political organisations, associations of political organisations or individual deputy candidates for organisation of meetings with voters free of charge or for a fee not exceeding actual expenditure for the maintenance of these premises.' (Source: Law on Pre-election Campaign Before the Saeima Elections and Elections to the European Parliament, 2004) Section 2:'(1) Political organisations (parties) may be financed by:1) membership fees and joining fees;2) gifts (donations) from natural persons;3) the income earned by economic activities of the relevant political organisation(party); and/or4) other sources of financing, except by those prohibited to finance politicalorganisations (parties) by law' (Source: Law on Financing of Political Organisations (Parties))
10. Is there a ban on donations from corporations with government contracts to candidates?	CodeYes Comment All financial activities by a candidate are considered as financial activities of his/her respective nominating political party. Source Section 8.4. Restrictions on Pre-election expenses stipulate: (4.1) In case if a candidate performs an individual pre-election campaign, all expenditures of this campaign are considered as expenditures of a respective political party's pre-election expenditures from which list he/she participates in an elections. (Source: Law on Financing of Political Organisations (Parties))
11. Is there a ban on donations from corporations with partial government ownership to political parties?	CodeYes Comment All donations from corporations are banned. However state owned companies shall provide free or?subsidized?access to their premises for campaigning. Source Section 19:'Local governments, State and local government institutions, capital companies in which more than 50 per cent of capital shares (stocks) belong to the State or a local government, shall assign premises to political organisations, associations of political organisations or individual deputy candidates for organisation of meetings with voters free of charge or for a fee not exceeding actual expenditure for the maintenance of these premises.' (Source: Law on Pre-election Campaign Before the Saeima Elections and Elections to the European Parliament, 2004) Section 2:'(1) Political organisations (parties) may be financed by:1) membership fees and joining fees;2) gifts (donations) from natural persons;3) the income earned by economic activities of the relevant political organisation(party); and/or4) other sources of financing, except by those prohibited to finance politicalorganisations (parties) by law' (Source: Law on Financing of Political Organisations (Parties))
12. Is there a ban on donations from corporations with partial government ownership to candidates?	CodeYes Comment All financial activities by a candidate are considered as financial activities of his/her respective nominating political party. Source Section 8.4. Restrictions on Pre-election expenses stipulate: (4.1) In case if a candidate performs an individual pre-election campaign, all expenditures of this campaign are considered as expenditures of a respective political party's pre-election expenditures from which list he/she participates in an elections. (Source: Law on Financing of Political Organisations (Parties))
13. Is there a ban on the use of state resources in favour or against a political party or candidate?	CodeYes CommentThere are several provision in different legal acts stating that the state resources are not allowed to be used for other purposes than the public interest and therefore it excludes state resources of being used in favour or against a political party or a candidate. Source
14. Is there a limit on the amount a donor can contribute to a political party during a non-election specific period?	CodeYes, for natural persons Comment For the members of the political organisations there is a special provision. Source Section 3:'(1) The amount of membership fees and the entrance fee and the procedure of theirpayment shall be regulated by the statutes of the respective political organisation (party).A political organisation (party) member?s total contributions in the form of entrance fee,membership fees and gifts (donations) to one political organisation (party) must notexceed 100 minimum monthly salaries over a calendar year.'Section 4:'(2) To one political organisation (a party) a natural person is allowed to make a gift (a donation) not exceeding 100 minimum monthly salaries over a period of one calendaryear.' (Source: Law on Financing of Political Organisations (Parties))
15. If there is a limit on the amount a donor can contribute to a political party during a non-election specific period, what is the limit?	Code Annual limit is 50 minimum monthly salaries. CommentLimit is 50 minimum monthly salaries over a calendar year. Source
16. Is there a limit on the amount a donor can contribute to a political party during an election?	CodeNo Comment Regular limit applies. According to the law to one political party a natural person is allowed to make a gift (a donation) not exceeding 100 minimum monthly salaries over a period of one calendar year. The law does not specify that a donations must be made in relations to an election. Source Section 4. Gifts (Donations). (2) To one political organisation (a party) a natural person is allowed to make a gift (a donation) not exceeding 100 minimum monthly salaries over a period of one calendar year. (Source: Law on Financing of Political Organisations (Parties))
17. If there is a limit on the amount a donor can contribute to a political party during an election, what is the limit?	CodeNot applicable CommentNA Source
18. Is there a limit on the amount a donor can contribute to a candidate?	CodeYes, for both natural and legal persons Comment The law permits donations only to political parties and not to candidates. Source Section 8.4. Restrictions on Pre-election expenses stipulate: (4.1) In case if a candidate performs an individual pre-election campaign, all expenditures of this campaign are considered as expenditures of a respective political party's pre-election expenditures from which list he/she participates in an elections. (Source: Law on Financing of Political Organisations (Parties))
19. If there is a limit on the amount a donor can contribute to a candidate, what is the limit?	CodeNot applicable CommentNA Source
20. Is there a limit on the amount a candidate can contribute to their own election campaign?
21. Is there a limit on in-kind donations to political parties?
22. Is there a limit on in-kind donations to candidates?
23. Is there a ban on political parties engaging in commercial activities?
24. Is there a ban on political parties taking loans in relation to election campaigns?
25. Is there a ban on candidates taking loans in relation to election campaigns?
26. Is there a ban on donors to political parties/candidates participating in public tender/procurement processes?
27. Are there provisions requiring donations to go through the banking system?

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Question	Value
28. Are there provisions for direct public funding to political parties?	CodeYes, regularly CommentThe law on Financing of Political Organisations (Parties) was amended by foreseeing the provisions for direct public funding in July 2011. It also stipulates that the direct public funding will be available starting from January 2012. Source
29. What are the eligibility criteria for political parties to receive public funding?	CodeShare of votes in previous election CommentFunding is only available to political parties that received 2% of vote in the previous elections. Source
30. What is the allocation calculation for political parties to receive public funding?	CodeFlat rate by votes received CommentParties receive flat rate of 0.50 santims [I$ 1,2] for each vote received. Source
31. What are the provisions on 'ear marking' direct public funding to political parties (how it should be used)?	CodeCampaign spending \| Ongoing party activities CommentBLANK Source
32. Are there provisions for free or subsidized access to media for political parties?	CodeYes Comment Source
33. What criteria determine allocation for free or subsidized access to media for political parties?	CodeEqual Comment Source
34. Are there provisions for free or subsidized access to media for candidates?	CodeYes Comment Source
35. Are there provisions for any other form of indirect public funding?	CodeYes CommentThe donors can get tax benefits. Source
36. Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties tied to gender equality among candidates?	CodeNo Comment Source
37. Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties?	CodeNo CommentThere is no provision regarding this topic.? Source

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Question	Value
38. Is there a ban on vote buying?	CodeYes Comment Source
39. Are there limits on the amount a political party can spend?	CodeYes CommentThere are different limits for Parliamentary, Local Government and European Parliament election expenses. Source
40. If there are limits on the amount a political party can spend, what is the limit?	Code Multiple of average gross salary and number of voters in the previous election. CommentIn the law on financing of political organisations there are well-described provisions for the limits for spending in the pre-election campaigns. Source
41. Are there limits on the amount a candidate can spend?	CodeYes CommentAny financial activity of a candidate will be considered as financial activities of a respective political party. Therefore all the expenditures will be regarded as expenditures of a political party's and the threshold will be applied. Source
42. If there are limits on the amount a candidate can spend, what is the limit?	Code Any financial activity of a candidate will be considered as financial activities of a respective political party. Therefore all the expenditures will be regarded as expenditures of a political party's and the threshold will be applied. Comment Source
43. Are there limits on the amount that third parties can spend on election campaign activities?
44. Are there limits on traditional media advertising spending in relation to election campaigns?
45. Are there limits on online media advertising spending in relation to election campaigns?
46. Do any other restrictions on online media advertisement (beyond limits) exist?

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Question	Value
47. Do political parties have to report regularly on their finances?	CodeYes CommentAnnually Source
48. Do political parties have to report on their election campaign finances?	CodeYes Comment Source
49. Do candidates have to report on their election campaign finances?	CodeYes CommentReports must be submitted 30 days after elections. Source
50. Do third parties have to report on election campaign finances?
51. Is information in reports from political parties and/or candidates to be made public?	CodeYes CommentThe audit of the reports on the pre-election campaign are published. The annual report of the parties is also published. All reports are published online. Source
52. Must reports from political parties and/or candidates reveal the identity of donors?	CodeYes Comment15 days after receipt, parties must publish information about donations incl. the donor, on the internet. Source
53. Must reports from political parties and/or candidates include information on itemized income?
54. Must reports from political parties and/or candidates include information on itemized spending?
55. Which institution(s) receives financial reports from political parties and/or candidates?	CodeAuditing agency \| Other CommentTwo institutions receives the annual report of the political organisations: the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau and State Revenue Service. The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau is a specialised anti-corruption authority of Latvia. Source
56. Which institution(s) is responsible for examining financial reports and/or investigating violations?	CodeOther CommentThe Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau. Source
57. What power is granted to the institution(s) responsible for examining reports and/or investigating violations?
58. What sanctions are provided for political finance infractions?	CodeFines \| Prison \| Forfeiture \| Loss of public funding \| Deregistration of party \| Suspension of political party CommentIn 2011 the Criminal Law was amended and the necessary provisions for foreseeing the criminal liability for political finance infractions were included. Therefore, now, for?illegal financing of a political party, intermediation in illegal financing of a party, acceptance of illegal financing, or extortion, an?imprisonment, arrest, forceful labor, or a fine are foreseen.?There are two kinds of forfeiture: Repayment of the illegally acquired financial assets to the payer, or diversion of the funds into the state budget. In some cases the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau is obliged to suspend the activities of the concerned political organisation (party) through court, and in some cases the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau has a duty to initiate termination of the relevant party through court. Source

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