IFES-CEC Ukraine Training Center conducts a BRIDGE workshop on Political Finance

IFES Ukraine in cooperation with the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Ukraine and Joint IFES-CEC Administrative Center for the Training of Election Process Participants (Training Center) conducted a three-day BRIDGE modular workshop on Political Finance. The event was made possible with the financial support of USAID, Global Affairs Canada and the UK government.

The aim of the workshop was to encourage greater coordination and cooperation between civil society, political parties, CEC and the Nation Agency for Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) – as key stakeholders of political finance oversight in Ukraine – in combatting political corruption in Ukraine.

This module was conducted in the Ukrainian language on January 25-27, 2017, in the premises of the Training center in Kyiv, Ukraine. This session was facilitated by three workshop-level facilitators, including IFES Ukraine Project Manager Yuliya Shypilova, Training Center Director Yevheniya Pavlovska, Training Center Training Officer Evgeniy Krikopolo, and supported by semi-accredited facilitator and IFES Ukraine political finance expert Alyona Sheshenya.

The event gathered 26 participants (11 male and 15 female), including eleven representatives of political parties, six civic activists, five representatives of the CEC and three representatives of the NAPC.  The workshop, which was customized for the Ukrainian experience and context, engaged participants on various topics, including but not limited to:

• Various instruments of political finance regulation;
• International principles of elections and political financing;
• Linkages between the election cycle and political finance;
• Contributions, donations and spending;
• Public funding;
• Law enforcement in the field of political finance and enforcement bodies;
• Practical solutions for public financing of political parties in Ukraine;
• The role of different stakeholders in political finance regulation
• Misuse of state resources and sanctions.

All sessions were highly interactive and enabled participants to discuss various issues related to political finance through role play, simulations, discussions and group work. Participants had the opportunity to try themselves in the role of candidates, leaders of political parties, as well as representatives of media, NGOs and enforcement bodies, which enabled participants to better understand the roles of different stakeholders in political finance regulation.

Participants throughout the workshop actively engaged in all activities and responded positively to the training. After the workshop, there was a general consensus amongst participants regarding the need to change the public attitude towards public financing of political parties via comprehensive educational and informational efforts. Participants also concluded that while political finance system should be in line with international standards and principles, there is no universal model which would be applicable for any country context.