Draft Amendment on Political Advertising Passes First Reading
Amendments to the Political Parties Act and Advertising Act passed the first reading in Parliament today.
If the package is approved, the possible misuse of public funds for the benefit of a political force will be checked by the Parliament's Political Party Funding Oversight Committee, uudised.err.ee reported today.
Once a violation is ascertained, the regulations of illegal donations will apply.
According to the Reform Party’s Valdo Randpere, one of the initiators of the amendment, using public funds for political campaigns is a widespread and recurring practice and requires intervention on the state level.
He admitted that the current amendment is not without loopholes, but remained hopeful that the attention of the public and the media will “curb the enthusiasm of people who are essentially stealing public money to gain favor."
“I hope that this draft amendment is even a tiny step toward a better political culture, that the opportunities of candidates will even out more, that it is not endorsed and that it’s not possible to use doping at the cost of public funds,” he said.