Transparency International investigation leads to criticism of election funding

Transparency International has called for simplified regulations concerning the funding of election campaigns in Poland, after examining the financing of last year's elections to the Sejm and Senate. Commenting on the findings of the investigation, Julia Pitera, head of Transparency International (TI) Poland, said, "Openness of public life in Poland is fictional." Pitera explained that the means of accessing data are designed in such a way as to prevent public awareness of the sources and methods of financing campaigns. She said the media do not have access to full data concerning private political donors, agreements and invoices. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A3) P.W.