58. What sanctions are provided for political finance infractions?
Albania
Answer
- Fines
- Suspension of public funding
Source
Article 173, The Electoral Code, 2020
Comment
A violation of the provisions on electoral campaign financing by the person in charge of the finances of a political party shall be punishable by a fine of ALL 100,000 to 200,000. 2. Obstructing or failure of the electoral subject to cooperate with the CEC auditor shall be punishable by a fine of ALL 2,000,000 to 3,000,000, and suspension of the public financing of the political party for up to 5 years. The same violation committed towards the CEC monitor shall be punishable by a fine of ALL 50,000 to 100,000. 3. Failure to submit a campaign financial report within the legal time-limit shall be punishable by a fine of ALL 2,000,000. Submission of reports in breach of rules and standardized formats approved by the CEC shall be punishable by a fine of ALL 500,000 to 1,000,000. 4. Non-public funds obtained by a political party, whose donor`s identity is not known or is not clearly defined, shall be transferred to the account of the CEC. Failure to do so shall result in forfeiture of the funds obtained and a fine equal to the amount of the funds obtained. 5. Acceptance of private funds worth more than ALL 50,000 through forms other than transfer to the bank account shall be punishable by a fine equal to the amount donated and forfeiture of the funds received to the CEC. 6. Acceptance of funds from prohibited donors, as specified in point 3 of Article 92/1, shall be punishable by forfeiture of the funds received to the CEC, and a fine of up to twice the amount of the funds received. 7. Violation of stipulations made in Article 92/2 of this Law by donors shall be punishable by a fine of up to 30 percent of the donated amount. 8. Failure or refusal to cooperate, destruction of documents, delays or inappropriate conduct during the CEC verification process pursuant to point 6 of Article 92/6, shall be punishable by the CEC by a fine of ALL 100,000 up to ALL 3,000,000. 9. Violation of the maximum limit of expenses by an electoral subject shall be punishable by a fine of ALL 5,000,000 or a fine equal to the amount which exceeded the limit, whichever is higher. 10. The filed complaint shall not suspend the execution of the decision imposing a fine under this Article. The fine imposed by the CEC shall constitute an executive title and shall be executed within 30 days from the served notice