On March 14, The Essential published a piece on Argentina’s campaign finance system and the outlook for reform ahead of this year’s elections by Cefeidas Group’s political and regulatory risk lead specialist, Megan Cook.
Cook commented on how the current framework and weak controls facilitate irregularities that undermine trust in Argentina’s electoral process. She also analyzes how recent scandals have called attention to the issue, and the implications of a reform proposal currently under consideration in Congress:
“The bill must be approved soon for it to be enforced in this year’s national elections. Even if passed, it alone will not be a panacea for Argentina’s electoral system. Evidence suggests that countries with robust and well-implemented campaign financing systems regularly face challenges. Further, Argentina’s federal system means the varying frameworks that govern sub-national elections will also need tightening…That said, the bill’s passage would be an important step toward increasing electoral transparency and reducing the possibility for corruption and capture by interest groups. This is especially relevant in the context of recent public attention on corruption, which will feature prominently in upcoming campaigns.“
To read the full article, please click here.