Head of Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention and IFES President Discuss Political Finance

On June 9, Chairperson of Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), Oleksandr Novikov, and President and CEO of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), Anthony Banbury, met and discussed the important role of the NACP and other independent oversight institutions in protecting and strengthening democracy in Ukraine. They agreed that greater transparency in political finance is an effective tool to combat corruption. Mr. Banbury congratulated Mr. Novikov for the NACP’s launch of an electronic system for financial reporting by political parties, an innovative tool that could have global application.

«In cooperation with IFES, we have developed a register of spending reports of political parties called POLITDATA,» Mr. Novikov shared. «We were pleased to share this new tool which automatically verifies data and increases transparency of money in politics during the Special Session of the UN General Assembly against Corruption.»

Novikov and Banbury also discussed a proposed draft law, No. 5253, under consideration by the Ukrainian Parliament, which could undermine the NACP’s oversight of campaign spending. They agreed that it is crucial for the NACP to be able to independently oversee financial reporting of political parties, and supported additional reforms that will further strengthen democracy in Ukraine.

Banbury stressed that transparency of political finance is important for voters in Ukraine and worldwide, as it is an essential component of thriving democracies. He also stressed the importance of corruption prevention, noting that «Combating corruption is a shared responsibility between government actors, political parties and voters. Voters everywhere need and deserve strong, independent oversight of money in politics.»

Representatives of the NACP and IFES agreed to explore opportunities for establishing links with similar independent oversight institutions in other countries.

The meeting took place during a working visit of the Head of the NACP to the United States in connection with the United Nations General Assembly Special Session against Corruption.