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Political Finance Database

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Georgia

2016

Bans and limits on private income

Public funding

Regulations of spending

Reporting, oversight and sanctions

Question	Value
1. Is there a ban on donations from foreign interests to political parties?	Code Yes Comment Lectures, workshops and public arrangements are exempt.
2. Is there a ban on donations from foreign interests to candidates?	Code Yes Comment Candidates shall use funds of the nominating party/coalition.
3. Is there a ban on corporate donations to political parties?	Code Yes Comment Ban came into force in December 2011.
4. Is there a ban on corporate donations to candidates?	Code Yes Comment Candidates shall use funds of the nominating party/coalition.
5. Is there a ban on donations from Trade Unions to political parties?	Code Yes Comment All donations from legal entities are banned.
6. Is there a ban on donations from Trade Unions to candidates?	Code Yes Comment Candidates shall use funds of the nominating party/coalition.
7. Is there a ban on anonymous donations to political parties?	Code Yes Comment blank
8. Is there a ban on anonymous donations to candidates?
9. Is there a ban on donations from corporations with government contracts to political parties?	Code Yes Source Art 26.1, '1. It is prohibited to accept financial and material contributions from:... a1. Legal persons, their consolidations or other types of organizational entities;'(Source: Organic Law of Georgia on Political Unions of Citizens, 1997 (as of 2012))
10. Is there a ban on donations from corporations with government contracts to candidates?	Code Yes Comment Candidates shall use funds of the nominating party/coalition. Source Art 54.3, 'A candidate nominated by the election subject shall utilize funds of the election subject nominating the candidate'. Art 54.7, 'Restrictions envisaged by the Organic Law of Georgia on Political Unions of Citizens apply to the election/referendum campaign costs and sources of funding...' (Source: Election Code of Georgia, 2001) Art 26.1, '1. It is prohibited to accept financial and material contributions from:... a1. Legal persons, their consolidations or other types of organizational entities;'(Source: Organic Law of Georgia on Political Unions of Citizens, 1997 (as of 2012))
11. Is there a ban on donations from corporations with partial government ownership to political parties?	Code Yes Source Art 26.1, '1. It is prohibited to accept financial and material contributions from:... a1. Legal persons, their consolidations or other types of organizational entities;'(Source: Organic Law of Georgia on Political Unions of Citizens, 1997 (as of 2012))
12. Is there a ban on donations from corporations with partial government ownership to candidates?	Code Yes Comment Candidates shall use funds of the nominating party/coalition. Source Art 54.3, 'A candidate nominated by the election subject shall utilize funds of the election subject nominating the candidate'. Art 54.7, 'Restrictions envisaged by the Organic Law of Georgia on Political Unions of Citizens apply to the election/referendum campaign costs and sources of funding...' (Source: Election Code of Georgia, 2001) Art 26.1, '1. It is prohibited to accept financial and material contributions from:... a1. Legal persons, their consolidations or other types of organizational entities;'(Source: Organic Law of Georgia on Political Unions of Citizens, 1997 (as of 2012))
13. Is there a ban on the use of state resources in favour or against a political party or candidate?	Code Yes
14. Is there a limit on the amount a donor can contribute to a political party during a non-election specific period?	Code Yes, for natural persons Source Art 27.1 '1. An annual overall amount of financial and material donations received by a party in a year shall not exceed 60 000 GEL from each citizen. Annual amount of membership fee shall not exceed 1200 GEL from each member of party.' (Source: Organic Law of Georgia on Political Unions of Citizens, 1997 (as of 2012))
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 60,000 Lari [I$ 86,000] Comment All donations from legal entities are banned.
16. Is there a limit on the amount a donor can contribute to a political party during an election?	Code Yes, for both natural and legal persons Source Art 47 (3 superscript 1), (page 38) '3 superscript 1. Financial and material volume of donations received at election funds of party/election bloc and the presidential candidate shall not exceed:a) for each individual person, including individual entrepreneur - 30 000 Lari;b) for each legal entity - 100 000 Lari.'(Source: Election Code of Georgia, 2001)
17. If there is a limit on the amount a donor can contribute to a political party during an election, what is the limit?	Code Limit for individuals (including individual entrepreneurs) is 30 000 Lari [I$ 43,000]; for legal entities 100 000 Lari [I$ 143,000]
18. Is there a limit on the amount a donor can contribute to a candidate?	Code Yes, for both natural and legal persons Source Art 47 (3 superscript 1, 3 superscript 2) , (page 38) '3 superscript 1. Financial and material volume of donations received at election funds of party/election bloc and the presidential candidate shall not exceed:a) for each individual person, including individual entrepreneur - 30 000 Lari;b) for each legal entity - 100 000 Lari.3 superscript 2. Financial donations to the election campaign funds of majoritarian candidate in parliamentary elections and candidate in local self-government representative body - Sakrebulo elections shall not exceed:a) for each natural person - 10,000 Lari;b) for each legal person - 30,000 Lari.' (Source: Election Code of Georgia, 2001)
19. If there is a limit on the amount a donor can contribute to a candidate, what is the limit?	Code Limit is individuals (including individual entrepreneurs); 30,000 Lari [I$ 43,000]; for legal entities - 100,000 Lari [I$ 143,000]. For majoritarian candidate (parliamentary elections) and candidate in local self-government representative body - Sakrebulo elections, limit is 10,000 Lari [I$ 14,000] (natural person); 30,000 Lari [I$ 43,000] (legal person)
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?

Question	Value
28. Are there provisions for direct public funding to political parties?	Code Yes, both regularly and in relation to campaigns
29. What are the eligibility criteria for political parties to receive public funding?	Code Share of votes in previous election Comment 4% of the vote in the last parliamentary elections or 3% in the last local elections. Funds for election campaigns are distributed to electoral subjects that obtain 5%, 10% and 3% of votes in the previous election.
30. What is the allocation calculation for political parties to receive public funding?	Code Equal Proportional to votes received Comment Partly equal, partly proportional to votes received. For funds related to elections, parties receiving 10% in presidential elections or 5% in parliamentary elections can recieve a one-time lump sum of a maximum FEL 1,000,000 to cover campaign expenses. Electoral subjects that obtain 3% or more of votes in general elections recieve a one-time lump sum of a maximum of GEL 500,000.
31. What are the provisions on 'ear marking' direct public funding to political parties (how it should be used)?	Code Campaign spending Ongoing party activities Comment Funds distributed in relation to election campaigns are to be used to cover campaign expenses.
32. Are there provisions for free or subsidized access to media for political parties?	Code Yes Comment Parties also receive extra funding for TV commercials during elections.
33. What criteria determine allocation for free or subsidized access to media for political parties?	Code Equal Other Comment Equal, or for those that have received certain share of votes
34. Are there provisions for free or subsidized access to media for candidates?	Code Yes Comment Only available to candidates nominated by parties receiving public funding.
35. Are there provisions for any other form of indirect public funding?
36. Is the provision of direct public funding to political parties tied to gender equality among candidates?	Code Yes Comment A party shall receive an additional 30% of the basic funding provided that the party list submitted by the party or electoral bloc maintains at least a 30% gender balance.
37. Are there provisions for other financial advantages to encourage gender equality in political parties?	Code No Comment Thera are no provisions in the law

Question	Value
38. Is there a ban on vote buying?	Code Yes
39. Are there limits on the amount a political party can spend?	Code Yes Comment 0.2 % of Georgia?s GDP of the previous year
40. If there are limits on the amount a political party can spend, what is the limit?	Code 0.2% of GDP
41. Are there limits on the amount a candidate can spend?	Code Yes Comment Ceiling for annual spending is calculated in the following way: maximum amount of party spending (see q32) has to be divided by the number of voters in the whole country and then multiplied by number of voters in a district where an individual candidate runs
42. If there are limits on the amount a candidate can spend, what is the limit?	Code Not applicable
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?

Question	Value
47. Do political parties have to report regularly on their finances?	Code Yes Comment Annual and weekly reports.
48. Do political parties have to report on their election campaign finances?	Code Yes
49. Do candidates have to report on their election campaign finances?	Code Yes
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?	Code Yes Comment State Audit Office publishes information on donations monthly online.
52. Must reports from political parties and/or candidates reveal the identity of donors?	Code Yes
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?	Code EMB Auditing agency Comment State Audit Office and Auditing Commission.
56. Which institution(s) is responsible for examining financial reports and/or investigating violations?
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?	Code Fines Forfeiture Loss of public funding Loss of nomination of candidate Other Comment Electoral subjects can be restricted from participating in future elections. See paragraph 34 in Organic Law of Georgia on Political Unions of Citizens for detailed list of fines.

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