Article 14 para 4 of the draft amendments makes the allocation of public funds conditional to the preparation of the quarterly report of the previous quarter. This provision implements a key recommendation of the 2019 ODIHR Opinion which stated “[i]t is recommended to make the allocation of public funding conditional upon the adequate fulfilment of reporting requirements as well as compliance with relevant accounting and auditing prior to receiving public funding”.⁴⁴ It is welcome that such a provision is introduced as making the allotment of public funding dependent on the adequate fulfilment of reporting obligations: this is crucial to safeguard the integrity of the system of political finance and to enhance transparency and accountability.⁴⁵ While requiring frequent and regular reporting is paramount to achieving these goals, in order to efficiently do so, adequate financial and human resources need to be provided to the regulatory oversight body to make it able to accomplish their respective tasks in a timely and accurate manner.⁴⁶

⁴⁴ Key Recommendation E and para 34 2019 OSCE/ODIHR Opinion; See also para 192 of the Guidelines on Political Party Regulation.
⁴⁵ See also Articles 11 and 13 Recommendation 2003(4).
⁴⁶ See also GRECO Compliance Report Armenia Fourth Evaluation Round, 8 December 2017, GrecoRC4(2017)15, https://rm.coe.int/fourth-evaluation-round-corruption-prevention-in-respect-of-members-of/1680775f12 para 27 and GRECO Second Compliance Report Armenia Fourth Evaluation Round, 6 December 2019, GrecoRC4(2019)21, pars 25-31.