Regional Conference on Money in Politics February, 2016 Tbilisi, Georgia Discussion on the challenges to women participation in politics, on the importance of money for competing in elections and on how to move forward Presented by: Lefterije Luzi CHAIR CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION ALBANIA Central Election Commission of Albania

The financing of political parties and their control, is regulated by a legal framework from 2009 and onwards CEC is the institution responsible for financial auditing and its publication CEC conducts financial audits through the appointment of specialized structures, the audit experts. Financing of political parties Central Election Commission of Albania

CEC publishes on its official website in a special section Annual financial reports of political parties, Audit reports on campaign financing of electoral subjects for the calendar year, Audit reports for the calendar year Publications Central Election Commission of Albania

The list of people who donate at least 100,000 ALL / 715 euro for the respective electoral subject is always made public The 1 million ALL amount is the total amount that a person contributes to an electoral subject during the election campaign The donor has the legal obligation to sign a declaration, that there is not a conflict of interest prescribed by the Electoral Code, which would constitute a reason for ban of his donation The party's annual financial report must be completed in accordance with regular accounting principles and the Law on Accounting and Financial Statements Central Election Commission of Albania Donations

Auditimi nga KQZ

Participated in Election Public FundsNon-Public Funds Declaring that have not profited funds No address found Parliamentary Election (32 political parties and 1 candidate ) Local Election (55 political parties and 106 candidates) (35 political parties and 75 candidates) 12 (2 political parties and 10 candidates) Parliamentary Election electoral subject (66 political parties and 2 candidates with voters support) Participated in Election Public Funds Non-Public Funds Declaring that No address found have not profited funds

Registered parties Parties that have profited public funds Parties that have profited nonpublic funds Parties declaring that have not profited funds Parties with incorrect addresses Year Year Year

Legislative gender quotas are provided for the first time in 2008 in the Electoral Code and on Gender Equality Law. According to the Electoral Code:  At least 30% and the first of three names on the multi-name list of MP candidates, must belong to each gender  Multi-name lists of candidates for local councils should have one in every two consecutive names from each gender participation in the party list of candidates was 49.36% women and their representation in local government bodies is 34.80%. Central Election Commission of Albania Women in politics

Electoral Code provides sanctions for non-compliance of this obligation of gender quotas. There exist two types of sanctions: Administrative sanctions with fines Complimentary sanctions replacing any vacancy in the subject list, in the electoral district where there is infringement, with the next candidates on the list of the less represented gender. At the end of parliamentary elections in 2013, the composition of Assembly was a total of 140 MPs out of which 25 are women or 17.86%. Implementation of additional sanction the participation of female MP-s in the legislative body where out of 140 Members, 30 or 21.4% were women. Central Election Commission of Albania Women in politics

Another form of financial support to political parties, as provided in the Albanian legislation, is free time available to them for campaign coverage in the public and private radio and television. Since the Albanian legislation, delegates the campaign coverage as a right of political party, it is the chairman of the party and the activity in which he participates, at the focus of media coverage Women candidates are those who feel more the lack of communication with voters through the media Central Election Commission of Albania Women in politics and money

 Albanian legislation is clear that women who participate in politics, do not have legal attention for financing through public funds, to support the inclusion and their activities in political life.  The changes in the Electoral Code to increase the gender quota in local elected bodies, are not accompanied by changes of quota allocation of public funds to support women candidates. Central Election Commission of Albania Women in politics and money

CEC recommendations for legislative changes: Provide special consideration for the increase of women participation in elected bodies; providing clear rules to gender quotas, in order to avoid abuses by political parties during their implementation; providing clear rules on financial support by the state budget for the women participation in elected bodies. Central Election Commission of Albania Recommendations

Thank You! Central Election Commission of Albania