Home > 2.1.1 Electoral commissions > RUSSIAN FEDERATION - Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens to Participate in a Referendum
 
 
 
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Article 59
 
Article 59. Procedure for Spending Electoral Funds, Referendum Funds
1. The authority to manage electoral funds, referendum funds shall be vested in the candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, referendum initiative groups, other referendum participant group that established these funds.
2. Electoral funds, referendum funds shall be intended for particular purposes. Electoral funds may be used by candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs only to cover expenses related to their election campaigns. Referendum funds may be used by the referendum initiative group only for activities aimed at advancing a referendum initiative, collection of signatures in support of this initiative, and obtaining a certain result at the referendum, other referendum participant groups may use the funds only for activities aimed at obtaining a certain result at the referendum.
3. Electoral funds, referendum funds may be used for:
a) financial support to organizational-technical measures aimed at collecting signatures of voters, referendum participants in support of the nomination of a candidate, list of candidates, referendum initiative, to include compensation of persons engaged to collect signatures of voters, referendum participants;
b) election campaigning, referendum campaigning, and payment for information and consultancy work (services);
c) payment for other work (services) performed by citizens or legal entities, and payment of other expenses directly related to the conduct of their election campaigns by candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, to the activity of the referendum initiative group aimed at advancing a referendum initiative, collecting signatures in support of this initiative, and obtaining a certain result at the referendum, to the activity of other referendum initiative groups aimed at obtaining a certain result at the referendum;
d) payment of an electoral deposit.
4. Contracts (agreements) with citizens and legal entities for performance of certain work (services) related to the election campaign of a candidate, electoral association, electoral bloc, to a referendum campaign, shall be entered into personally by the candidate or his authorized representative for financial matters, an authorized representative for financial matters of an electoral association, electoral bloc, the referendum initiative group, other referendum participant groups. Settlements for performance of such work (services) between a candidate, electoral association, electoral bloc, referendum initiative group, another referendum participant group and legal entities shall be effected only on a non-cash basis.
5. Citizens and legal entities shall be entitled to provide financial (monetary) support to a candidate, electoral association, electoral bloc, referendum initiative group only through electoral funds, referendum funds. It shall be prohibited, without a written consent of a candidate or his authorized representative for financial matters, an authorized representative for financial matters of an electoral association, electoral bloc, referendum initiative group, and without payment out of the relevant electoral fund, referendum fund, to perform paid work, sell goods, render paid services that are directly or indirectly related to an election, a referendum or aimed at obtaining certain results at an election, at advancing a referendum initiative, obtaining a certain result at a referendum. Legal entities, their subsidiaries, branches, representation offices, and other divisions shall be prohibited from performing free of charge, or at unreasonably low rates, any work, services, sell goods that are directly or indirectly related to the election, referendum or are aimed at obtaining a certain result at the election, at advancing a referendum initiative, obtaining a certain result at the referendum. A citizen may voluntarily and personally perform work, services in relation to the preparation and conduct of an election, referendum without engaging any third parties.
6. Candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, referendum initiative groups shall be prohibited from using any funds other than their electoral funds, referendum funds for payment for work related to the collection of signatures of voters, referendum participants, election campaigning, referendum campaigning, any other activities aimed at obtaining a certain results at an election, a referendum.
7. The credit institution that is a holder of a special electoral account, a special referendum account shall, at the request of the relevant commission, candidate, electoral association, electoral bloc, referendum initiative group, periodically provide them with information about receipt of funds on and withdrawal of funds from the electoral account of this candidate, electoral association, electoral bloc, the special referendum account of this referendum initiative group. At the request of the relevant commission and in relation to the relevant electoral fund, referendum fund and at the request of the candidate, electoral association, electoral bloc, referendum initiative group the credit institution that is a holder of a special electoral account, a special referendum account shall, within three days or if the request is submitted three days prior to voting day - immediately, issue certified copies of initial financial documents evidencing receipt and spending of electoral funds, referendum funds.
8. Before voting day at an election, referendum, the relevant election commission shall periodically send the information about receipt and spending of electoral funds, referendum funds to mass media for publication. Editorial offices of state and municipal print media outlets, in accordance with the level of the election, referendum shall publish the said information provided to them by commissions for publication within three days of receipt of such information. The scope of information that is required to be published shall be established by law.
9. A candidate, an electoral association, electoral bloc, a referendum initiative group shall present to the relevant commission at least two financial reports (one report not later than 10 days before voting day of the election, referendum, and the final report not later than 30 days after the publication of the results of the election, the referendum) indicating the size of their electoral fund, referendum fund, all sources from which it was formed, and all expenses that have been paid from it. The final financial report shall be presented together with initial financial documents evidencing receipt and spending of the electoral fund, referendum fund. Copies of the said reports shall be issued by the commissions to mass media not later than five days from the day of their receipt.
10. It may be required by law that an electoral association, electoral bloc that registered a list of candidates which was not included in the distribution of deputy seats and received less votes of the total vote at the election than required by such law, reimburse mass media organizations for the expenses incurred by such organizations to ensure the right of this electoral association, electoral bloc to free air time and free space in print media for election campaigning. The said number of votes shall not exceed two percent of the total vote.
11. Candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, referendum initiative groups shall remit any unspent funds remaining in the special electoral account, referendum account after voting day to citizens and legal entities that made donations to their electoral funds, referendum funds in proportion to the donations. After the expiration of the period of thirty days from voting day, the credit institution shall dispose of the balance of unspent funds in the special electoral account, referendum account in the following manner: without further authorization and at the written instruction of the relevant commission, it shall remit to the commission the funds due to it, and transfer the remainder of the funds to the relevant budget.
12. The procedure for taxation of electoral funds, referendum funds, voluntary donations and transfers to the said funds, and spending of the said funds shall be established by the federal laws.
13. Commissions shall exercise control over formation and spending of electoral funds, referendum funds. State bodies and authorized bodies and organizations in charge of registration of legal entities shall, at the request of commissions, verify, within five days, the accuracy of the information provided by legal entities that donated funds to electoral funds, referendum funds and notify the relevant commissions of the results of such verification.