COTABATO CITY — In a bid to strengthen regional political engagement and enhance the functioning of local parties, the Bangsamoro Parliament has introduced a measure to establish a Bangsamoro Political Subsidy Fund.
Outlined in Parliament Bill No. 287, the fund aimed to support accredited regional political parties and provide financial resources for various party development activities and campaign expenditures.
The proposed fund is intended to diminish the influence of private money in elections and regulate campaign financing, ensuring a fairer electoral process for all candidates. The bill seeks to promote a more equitable and transparent political environment in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
According to the proposed measure, the subsidy will exclusively support activities such as general assemblies, party administration, voter education programs, research and policy development, member education and training, institution building, and other logistical and operational expenses.
These efforts are designed to strengthen the organizational capacities and effectiveness of regional political parties.
To qualify for the subsidy, political parties must secure accreditation from the Bangsamoro Registration and Accreditation Committee (BRAC), including sectoral parties and organizations vying for sectoral seats in the Bangsamoro Parliament.
Eligibility criteria will consider factors such as political representation, organizational strength, performance, and track record.
If enacted, the bill will allocate P100-million annually to the Bangsamoro Political Party Subsidy Fund, supporting the operating costs of accredited regional political parties for their development activities and campaign expenses.
The distribution of funds will take into account various factors, including monitoring and information campaign activities, the number of seats won in regional elections, local elective positions, and sectoral representation.
The Commission on Audit (COA) will oversee the auditing of funds received by each party, ensuring transparency and accountability. Parties are required to publicly disclose their use of the financial subsidy; failure to comply will result in disqualification from receiving its share.
The Bangsamoro Electoral Code defines regional political parties as entities with a minimum membership of 10,000 residents who are registered voters within the region.
The legislative effort comes ahead of the anticipated 2025 composition of the Bangsamoro Parliament, which will include 40 party representatives, 32 district representatives, and eight sectoral representatives.
The bill is principally authored by Members of the Parliament Tarhata Maglangit, Abdulkarim Misuari, Atty. Randolph Parcasio, Nurredha Misuari, Hamid Malik, Abdulaziz Amenoden, and Denmartin Kahalan.
MPs Ali Solaiman, Bai Maleha Candao, Dr. Hashemi Dilangalen, and Hatimil Hassan are the proposed bill’s co-authors. (LTAIS- Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)
No comments:
Post a Comment