The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan has appealed to the Ministry of Justice regarding 12 political parties which failed to submit their 2014 annual financial reports.
CEC deputy chairman Natig Mammadov said that only 43 of 55 state-registered political parties submitted their annual financial reports to the CEC.
“There are some shortcomings in the reports. Some of them are related to the lack of practice of the parties in submitting financial reports to the CEC; some are related to the positions of the parties and others to the quality of their activities. However, despite all these, I think the reports of the political parties will be available on the website of the CEC with the specified period,” APA cited Mammadov as saying.
On 1 October 2014, amendments to the law “On political parties” were made. Previously, political parties had to submit their annual financial reports to the Finance Minister no later than April 1 of the next year after the end of the reporting period. Now political parties must submit their final reports together with an auditor’s report to the CEC not later than April 1 of each year. In addition, the CEC must post relevant information on its website.
The Ministry of Justice has the right to cancel the state registration of political parties which failed to submit their financial reports. But on April 7, CEC secretary Arifa Mukhtarova announced that 22 out of 55 state-registered political parties submitted their annual financial reports. CEC chairman Mazahir Panahov said that the Justice Ministry didn't shut down these political parties.
Panahov noted that nobody wants the Justice Ministry to cease the operation of political parties. Therefore, the CEC is continuing to receive annual financial reports.
