Parties reveal costs of election campaigns
AS VOTING day on July 29 inches closer, political parties have begun revealing their election budgets. While most parties claim the bulk of their funding came from donations, a leader from election watchdog Nicfec said greater transparency was required.
The Grassroots Democratic Party (GDP) revealed that it spent $300,000 during the campaign, while the League for Democracy Party (LDP) claims it spent $3 million.
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) declined to give an exact figure but said funding came from its members’ donations. Funcinpec leaders also declined to reveal its election spending.
CPP spokesman Sok Eysan said on Tuesday that none of his party’s funds came from government coffers, but from the 200 riel ($0.05) fee that his party’s 5.5 million members paid monthly.
“Officials at any level, as long as they are party members, must pay 200 riel per month. If not, they cannot continue their political lives with the party. It’s normal, 200 riel from each member. We have 5.5 million members, so you do the maths and you will ascertain our budget,” he said.
Eysan declined to disclose the party’s budget for this year as the campaign period wasn’t over yet.
GDP secretary-general Sam Inn estimated that his party spent around $300,000 while