A special report by the Audit Office on Tuesday revealed missing records and a lack of transparency in the operation of 12 non-parliamentary political parties between 2016 and 2021 and called for the establishment of a comprehensive register of parties.

According to the report, some parties did not have an official website nor file a complete audit.

Additionally, inaccuracies and shortcomings were noted in the reports of independent auditors and non-compliance with the requirements of transparently stating donations of more than €500.

“It is necessary to introduce a relevant provision to the political parties’ law for the removal of parties that remain inactive or fail to meet the basic operational and compliance criteria,” the report said.

The audit service argued that a register of political parties, establishing a set of requirements to register a party and the regular assessments of their resources, organisational structure and compliance with applicable laws could contribute to the credibility of the political system.

The report also suggested adjustments in conducting audits of non-parliamentary parties, which do not receive state funding and do not show significant private contributions, “so that audit resources are not wasted on the audit of completely insignificant amounts.”

“The operation of non-parliamentary parties strengthens democracy, but it is necessary to recognise their specificities,” the audit service said.

Some of the parties involved in the audit service report were Active Citizens – United Cypriot Hunters Movement, Awakening-2020, Generation Change, Volt Cyprus, New Horizontal Force, and Victory.