The country’s three major political parties have cumulatively, since 2014, carted home nearly K85.5 million in political party funding even though Parliament which disburses the funds remains toothless on how the parties can account for the tax payer’s money they get.
Article 40 sub-Section 2 of the Malawi Constitution compels the State, through the National Assembly, to provide funding to political parties that amass a minimum of 10 percent of seats in an election.
Three parties, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and opposition Malawi Congress Party and the People’s Party managed to get more that 19 members of Parliament in the election hence qualifying for the parliamentary funding.
Despite the parties meeting the constitutional requirement, Clerk of Parliament, Fiona Kalemba, rued the absence of systems to track the funding.
“Currently, there is no mechanism to monitor accountability of political party funding,” Kalemba said in a written response.
In 2014/15 financial year, the three parties shared K35 million and the same happened in the 2015/16 financial year, according to Kalemba.
In the first quarter of 2016/17 financial year, Kalemba said the parties have already received K17.5 million and that in the second quarter the parties will get the balance.
Contrary to Kalemba’s claim, Sections 6 and 7 of the Public Audit Act of 2003 mandates the office of the Auditor General to audit all institutions that get funding from government.
When contacted, Auditor General, Stephenson Kamphasa, said although the law gives him the mandate, his office has not audited the parties based on the funding they get from Parliament.
“Parties get funding based on specific responsibilities in the National Assembly for example that of Leader of Opposition. In addition, they are also funded based on their representation in the House because the more represented [they are], the [more the] responsibilities.
“The funding is based on expenditure incurred by Parliament not direct funding to party. Therefore, the funding is specific expenditure charged on National Assembly Vote or programme or activities for political parties. We, therefore, audit them under such programmes activities,” he said.
But the proposed Political Parties legislation that is yet to be tabled in Parliament, proposes a change in the criteria for qualification to the funding from a minimum of 10 percent of the seats in the parliamentary election to one tenth of the national vote.
“The accounts of a political party which receives funding from the State shall be subjected to audit [and] the audited accounts will be presented to the Registrar, the political party concerned and the National Assembly,” reads part five of the bill that outlines new parameters on state financing of political parties.
Leave a Reply