Levits proposes to earmark government funding also for parties running for municipal elections

RIGA - Latvian President Egils Levits proposes to earmark government funding also for political parties running for municipal elections.

The president said in a commentary to the amendments to the law on political parties financing, published on official gazette Latvijas Vestnesis today that there had been a number of sensible proposals during debates on the law.

The president noted that it would be necessary to improve regulations on how parties account for use of budget funding.

"The current regulation does not forbid parties to publish a more detail report, still, most of the parties publish only the information that has been required by the law," said the president.

Levits proposes to make government funding available also to those parties who do not run for the parliament, but for local elections. This would help the parties to develop, ensure their administrative activities in between the elections.

As reported, Saeima passed in the final reading a legislative a proposal to tie public funding to political parties to the minimum wage.

The amendments to the Law on Financing of Political Organizations (Parties), proposed by three coalition lawmakers, Juris Puce (Development/For), Juris Jurass (New Conservative Party) and Raivis Dzintars (National Alliance), are to take effect before Latvia's upcoming parliamentary elections.