Home > 2.1 The competent bodies and their tasks > KOSOVO - Kosovo - Opinion on the “draft law on amending and supplementing the Law no. 03/l-174 on the Financing of Political Entities (Amended and Supplemented by the Law no. 04/l-058 and the Law no. 04/l-122) and the Law no. 003/l-073 on General Elections
 
 
 
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Paragraph 34
 

These kinds of competences are in line with international standards and previous opinions of the Venice Commission: in the terms of the Guidelines, “generally, legislation should grant regulatory agencies the ability to investigate and pursue potential violations. Absent such investigative powers, agencies areunlikely to have the ability to effectively implement their mandate.” In the case of Kosovo, a number of observers including the European Commission have identified a need for enhanced investigation of irregularities and proper follow-up of audit reports. There have been numerous allegations of various covert funding schemes. For example, civil society organisations have consistently claimed that political parties receive donations and carry expenditures in cash, and the cash is not registered or tracked in the parties’ financial reports. During the meetings held in Pristina, several interlocutors also referred, for example, to cases where citizens made contributions to political parties which exceeded their annual income but no agency checked their origin. Whatever the veracity of such claims, it is crucial that any credible suspicions be properly investigated.