Leader of the New Serbian Democracy (Nova) Andrija Mandic, is currently the only candidate for the President of Montenegro who reported campaign contributions to the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK) and submitted a report on income and assets.
This is not a surprise considering that he was the first to be confirmed as a presidential candidate on February 7.
According to the report on contributions published on the ASK website, Nova donated 5.000 euros to Mandić, and the Democratic People's Party (DNP), which forms the Democratic Front (DF) with that party and the Movement for Change (PzP), gave 10.000.
ASK told "Vijesti" that until yesterday, by noon, one candidate had submitted a fifteen-day report on contributions, and that the others had the obligation to do so within 15 days from the opening of the campaign financing account. They add that one subject also submitted a report on income and assets, and that candidates are obliged to do so within 15 days of submitting their candidacy.
KAS states that three candidates have opened giro accounts so far, and that the institution was informed about it within the deadline. According to unofficial information from "Vijesti", these are, apart from Mandić, the current president of the state and the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS). Milo Djukanovic and MP of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Draginja Vuksanović Stanković.
The Democrats, the Europe Now Movement (PES) and the United Montenegro told the newspaper that they had opened accounts for their candidates. Aleks Bečić, Jakov Milatović i Goran Danilović.
According to the Law on the Financing of Political Entities and Election Campaigns, special accounts are opened no later than the next day after the confirmation of candidacy, while KAS is informed about this within three days of opening the account.
In addition to Mandić, Đukanović, Vuksanović Stanković, Bečić, Milatović and Danilović, the candidacy of an influencer from Podgorica has also been confirmed. Jovan Radulović.
For the elections scheduled for March 19, 884,5 thousand euros have been allocated from this year's state budget, of which 20 percent (176,9 thousand) will be distributed to all candidates before the voting day.
This means that seven candidates whose applications have been confirmed will each receive 25 euros.
By law, 0,07 percent of the budget is provided for presidential elections.
The law states that in the case of one election round, 20 percent is distributed to all those whose candidacy has been determined, in equal amounts, within ten days of determining the list of candidates.
The rest, i.e. 80 percent, is shared by those who win more than three percent of the votes, proportionally to the percentage of the total number of votes won.
In the case of holding two election rounds, 20 percent goes to all those whose candidacy has been determined, 40 percent to those who won more than three percent, and 40 percent to both candidates (in the second round) in proportion to the percentage of votes won.
When it comes to funds from private sources that can be collected for the campaign, they cannot exceed the amount of funds from the budget, which means that the candidate can collect a maximum of 884,5 thousand euros.
"Vijesti" from Democrats, PES and United responded to questions about whether they have had campaign expenses so far, how much they plan to spend, and whether they have started receiving contributions.
The Democrats said that until yesterday the leases of billboard areas were registered, but there were no donations for Bečić's campaign.
"Given that it is a very short election campaign, that is, never shorter in our country, it is to be expected that the dynamics and amount of costs will be determined by the duration of the campaign itself, as well as the holding of the second round of the presidential elections, in which we firmly believe , find our candidate too", they said.
PES pointed out that they are currently contracting marketing and other activities, and that there are not a few significant expenditures in the current part of the campaign.
They state that they have created an "initial financial plan" for the campaign, which includes cost projections for the first round of elections, as well as projections for the second.
They emphasize that most of their expenses will be financed from budget funds, and that they collect contributions in accordance with the law.
"In the first few days of the campaign, we had certain contributions from our members, for which we are grateful," added PES.
United stated that it is not possible to speak "about some spent money". They explain that municipal committees were engaged in collecting signatures in support of Danilović, and that they bore the minimal costs of printing forms and fuel.
"In recent days, statements on Facebook and Instagram were sponsored, but it was part of regular party activities. Otherwise, in the campaign we plan to spend dominantly what we will receive from the state, as well as some contributions from party officials", they pointed out.
ASK says that they will especially insist on the transparency of the funding of the subjects, by publishing all the data obtained during the campaign and the reports that will be submitted on the website. The data, they add, will be available through special analytical reports and search criteria.
They remind that they have adopted the Control and Supervision Plan for the election campaign, which foresees "substantial control" of activities, collected and spent funds by regularly obtaining data on the activities of all candidates, documentation accompanying these activities, including invoices, contracts, advertising samples, etc., which will, they explain, process, compare and control from multiple sources.
"At the end, the completeness and accuracy of the submitted reports on the origin, amount and structure of the funds collected and spent from public and private sources for the election campaign will be controlled," said KAS.
DPS had no donations for local elections
DPS, while in power at the state level, until 2020, led the way in contributions from natural and legal persons during the campaigns. However, according to KAS data, during the local elections in 14 municipalities in October last year, that party had no donations, at least not those that were registered. "During the campaign for the local elections held on October 23, 2022, there were no contributions from natural or legal persons to the DPS", ASK replied to "Vijesta".
During the 2020 parliamentary elections, DPS collected almost half a million euros in donations. ASK determined that the donations of the participants in concessions for small hydropower plants were disputed, because the production of electricity is a business of public interest.
KAS said that after reviewing the submitted reports and accompanying documentation, it was determined that the submitters of electoral lists for the elections held on August 30, 2020 collected a total of 2.751.353 euros. During the controls, KAS established that two donors were not registered in the voter's list. Because of this, misdemeanor proceedings were initiated against a political subject.
As "Vijesti" wrote, misdemeanor proceedings were initiated against DPS also because of two participants in business with concessions for small hydropower plants who were not on the voter list.
Eraković and his friends donated to their party in 2020
KAS told "Vijesta" that during the controls for the 2020 elections, it was determined that there were no contributions from public institutions, legal entities and companies with the participation of state capital, trade unions, religious communities and organizations, NGOs, casinos...
However, the former director of the Clinical Center of Montenegro (KCCG) Jevto Eraković and his closest associates gave DPS a donation ahead of the elections in 2020. Eraković, who is the vice president of DPS, donated 500 euros, the then president of the board of directors of KCCG Nermin Abdić also 500 euros, assistant director for legal affairs Nikola Rakočević 300 euros, then head nurse 500 euros...
The DPS did not answer the questions "Vijesti" addressed to Eraković about whether donations to one party mean that KCCG as a public institution was politicized, that is, whether it can be said that Eraković and his associates worked in the interests of one party, and not in public interest.
Eraković often criticizes the current leadership of the Clinical Center on behalf of DPS.
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