A Belarusian can donate 115 dollars to a candidate, while a Ukrainian - $46

The most interesting stage of the election campaign - pre-electoral campaigning - starts on November18. Euroradio has decided to compare financial capacities of presidential election campaigns in Belarus and in the neighbouring countries.

Country  Fund capacity 
(USD)
 Maximal input of a citizen (USD)
Belarus  61 300 (together with 26,6 thousand dollars from the state budget)
 115  (350 thousand Belarusian roubles)
 Lithuania  1 020 000  16 410  (42000 litas)
 Poland  5 300 000  6 760  (19755 złotys)
 Russia  12 760 000  191 000  (6 million Russian roubles)
 Ukraine  Unlimited  45 650  (362800 hryvnias)


Thus, a candidate for President can spend a little more than 60 thousand dollars during election in Belarus: the state budget provides 26,6 thousand, and personal fund can amount to about 35 thousand dollars. A candidate himself can donate 580 dollars to this fund, a legal entity - no more than 350 dollars, and an ordinary citizen - 115 dollars at the maximum.

Unlike Belarus, Poland does not provide money to candidates. 

"No financing is granted by the state budget, either during an election campaign or after election. There are also no subsidies or any other payments to the election committees that won", – says the expert of the State election commission Krzysztof Lorenc.

According to him, the Poles can transfer much more money to the candidates' accounts than in our country.

Krzysztof Lorenc: "The sum which a physical person can donate to one election committee cannot surpass 15 minimal wages, which is  19755 złotys".

This is almost 7 thousand dollars. On the whole, the candidates' election committees could spend 5 million 300 thousand dollars (15,5 million złotys) at the previous election. 80% of the money went for advertising: TV-commercials, posters and billboards. 

A citizen of Lithuania can donate even more money to a candidate than in Poland, says the head of the political parties and campaigns financing department of the Lithuanian Election Commission Linata Tronene.

Linata Tronene: "It was allowed to transfer up to 39000 litas, but then there have been amendments in the legislation so now it is allowed to transfer 42 thousand".

This is almost 16,5 thousand dollars! This very sum can also be donated by legal entities, including political parties. A Lithuanian candidate can spend more than 1 million dollars for the whole campaign. For example, Dalia Grybauskaitė collected almost 200 thousand dollars for her election campaign in 2009.  

Even bigger sum for donations is allowed in Ukraine. Each Ukrainian can donate up to 400 minimal wages, which is more than 40 thousand dollars at the moment, to his candidate. As for limitations with regard to candidate's personal money or the money of his party, there are none. The experts claim the latest presidential campaign in Ukraine was worth approximately 500 million - 1 billion dollars.

Finally, in Russia a candidate for President can have expenses for the total sum of about 13 million dollars (400 million Russian roubles). Those who make it to the second round are allowed to spend 3 million dollars more. A candidate's personal money can make no more than 10% of the whole sum, donations made by citizens and legal entities - no more than 1,5% and 7% of the maximum sum respectively.

Photo: photo.bymedia.net