§ Electoral Code art. 57Regime of donations

Regime of donations
(1) Donations to initiative groups, electoral competitors or referendum participants
may consist of:
a) cash donations from employee, entrepreneur, scientific or creative work carried out
by citizens of the Republic of Moldova from scholarships, pensions, social benefits or other
statutory income, excluding social assistance.
b) donations in the form of property, goods, merchandise, objects, works or services
free of charge or on terms more favourable than commercial or market value. These donations
shall be reflected in their market value and shall not exceed the limits of the donations provided
for in paragraph (4).
(2) Initiative groups, electoral competitors and referendum participants, including
political parties that have nominated candidates for elections or set up initiative groups, shall
only be entitled to accept donations in money directly to the ‘Electoral Fund’/‘For the initiative
group’ account.
(3) Political parties that have formed groups of initiative and/or nominated candidates
in the elections shall be entitled to accept donations exclusively to ‘Electoral Fund’/‘For the
initiative group’ account, in accordance with the rules laid down in this Code. The political party
may transfer to ‘Electoral Fund’/‘For the initiative group’ account its own financial means held
in its account on the date on which the election campaign or signature collection period begins,
subject to the submission of the financial report to the Central Electoral Commission indicating
the dates referred to in Article 58 (1).
(4) Contributions in the form of donations may be made by natural and legal persons,
subject to the restrictions laid down in Article 54 (5), as follows:
1) Natural persons who are citizens of the Republic of Moldova:
a) shall be entitled to donate during the period of activity of the initiative groups and
during election campaigns up to 6 average monthly salaries set for that year, and this ceiling
may not exceed 30% of their annual income for the previous calendar year;
b) if they hold the status of public persons, civil servants, including special status, or
employees of public organisations within the meaning of Law No 133/2016 on the declaration
of assets and personal interests, they may donate maximum 10% of their annual income, not
exceeding 6 average monthly salaries determined for that year;
c) where the donor enjoys only scholarships or other social benefits, the donation
ceiling may not exceed an average monthly salary for the year in question;
d) donations may be made, in the course of a budget year, to one or more initiative
groups, electoral competitors or referendum participants up to the ceilings laid down in
subparagraphs (a) to (c);
e) may donate cash of up to an average national salary set for that year. Cash
donations may be used only after they have been deposited in the ‘Electoral Fund’/‘For the
initiative group’ account. The Central Electoral Commission shall determine the procedure for
collecting and depositing cash donations;
f) may donate more than the limit laid down in point (e) exclusively by means of banking
operations. Donations carried out through banking transactions can be made via bank card
accounts opened in banks in the country or abroad and/or by transfer (bank transfer) to
‘Electoral Fund’/‘For the initiative group’ account.
2) Legal persons:
a) shall have the right to donate to the bank account ‘For the initiative group’ and
‘Electoral Fund’ cumulatively up to 12 average monthly salaries set for that year;
b) may donate cash to the ‘Electoral Fund’/‘For the initiative group’ account only by
transfer, together with a declaration on honour that there are no restrictions provided for in
Article 54 (5) (d), (f) and (g);
c) shall present the information issued by the State Tax Service confirming the absence
of debts to the State budgets.
(5) Donations made in excess of the fixed ceilings, as well as the amounts received in
breach of paragraph (4), point 2, shall be paid to the State budget, based on the decision of
the Central Electoral Commission.
(6) The specific features of contributions in the form of donations, the conditions and
the manner in which they are recorded, and the procedure for reporting them, shall be laid
down in regulations approved by the Central Electoral Commission.