30th September 2013

Good Governance: Amendments to the Act on Political Parties introduced

The Ministry of Interior put forward the Bill on Political Parties (zákon o politických stranách). The proposed Bill has been discussed since the beginning of the current electoral term (since 2010). The proposal reacts on suggestions of the Council of Europe towards the Czech Republic.

The Bill stipulates stricter form of party finance bookkeeping. The Bill requires further details that should be kept by the central office of the party and presented in financial statements. The Bill also broadens the scope that should be collected regarding the cash-flow and financial position of the party.

The Bill changes the system of sanction and financial controlling. The most preferred variants are that financial statements of political parties should be supervised by the Supreme Audit Office, or by the Chamber of Deputies. However, the Chamber of Deputies would not be able to impose any sanction on a political party in the case of malpractice. Further, the Bill implements a stricter provision of a compulsory auditor who must not be dependent on the political party.

Members of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic