Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 657894,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/657894/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 62,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "The political parties have to submit an annual account to the President of the Bundestag giving details of the income, expenditure, assets and liabilities. The annual accounts are to be audited and certified by a registered chartered accountant as per Article 23. If the President is not satisfied by the accounts submitted by a political party, he can get the accounts audited by an auditor nominated by him. For avoidance of doubt, the President of the Bundestag of Germany is the equivalent of the Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya. The President of the Bundestag shall report to the Bundestag regarding his finding on the accounts of political parties and the report shall be published as Bundestag’s published paper for public scrutiny. From the foregoing, it is observed that in the Federal Republic of Germany, the President of the Bundestag is required to receive the reports of political parties and convey the same to the Bundestag. Organisations that fail to conclusively account for their fund risk losing their legal status as political parties. In the United Kingdom, the Political Parties Election and Referendum Act, 2000 governs political parties, their conduct and other related matters. There exists an independent body, the Electoral Commission, which oversees all the electoral processes. All political parties are required to register with the Electoral Commission with set financial structures which should be approved by the Commission. The Treasurer of the party is required to keep up-to-date accounting records showing the daily financial transactions. At the end of each financial year, the party is required to submit the annual accounts to the Commission. These accounts are then opened for public inspection and scrutiny. In Denmark, there is no specific authority entrusted with monitoring the adherence to political financing rules by political parties, related entities or election of candidates. Further, there is no public authority established to check the relevant accounting records of such entities and persons. However, the General Audit Office, which is an independent institution under Parliament, examines the soundness of all state accounts, that is, checks that they are without significant errors and deficiencies and this office is in accordance with the Public Funding Act. The office is empowered to demand accounting records from the beneficiary parties that have received public funding in order to examine how such funding has been spent and in this context, may check the accounts of political parties. Hon. Members, France has an elaborate legislation, the Electoral Code, which governs affairs of political parties particularly their finances. The Code works on three basic principles namely:- (i) that money should not decide the outcome of the ballot nor favour the richest candidate; (ii) that a candidate must not be dependent on a generous donor; and, (iii) that the State should reimburse the electoral expenses to offset the obligations put on the candidates. The code allows for State funding of political parties as key contributors to public suffrage. The control and verification of books of accounts of political parties is done by the Electoral Commission which verifies that political parties respect their accounting and financial obligations, ensures that the parties’ accounts are published in the official journal of France and brings any matter presenting possible penal violations before the public prosecutor."
}