The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) released a joint study that maps how civil society organisations (CSOs) monitor political and campaign finance across five Asian democracies. Launched at an international round-table in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the report spotlights both the legal diversity of the region and the common obstacles that undermine transparent elections.
Shared regulatory gaps and the rise of digital-era challenges
While India, Indonesia, Mongolia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka each set their own contribution caps and spending limits, the study finds that enforcement mechanisms are often fragile. Laws intended to curb the misuse of state resources, coercive financing or hidden donors frequently stumble over weak monitoring capacity, vague wording and the rapid growth of online advertising. The surge of digital campaigning creates a “gray zone” where advertisements can be financed through opaque channels, leaving traditional audit trails ineffective.
Country snapshots: civil society fills the void
India The Association for Democratic Reforms digitises candidate expense disclosures, creates searchable databases and makes them publicly available, turning opaque paperwork into open data.
Indonesia Local NGOs cross-check official financial reports against Meta’s Ad Library, exposing mismatches between declared spending and actual digital ad purchases.
Mongolia CSOs use the national e-receipt system to verify reported transactions, although informal cash deals remain difficult to trace.
Philippines Activist groups scrape, process and visualise contribution statements, then juxtapose them with field observations of billboard and online ads.
Sri Lanka After the 2023 campaign-finance law, NGOs file right-to-information requests and, when necessary, bring legal challenges against candidates who breach spending limits.
Modular framework for scalable monitoring
The report proposes a two-part methodology designed for adaptability. The first part lays out a modular framework that covers five pillars: legal compliance assessment, data accessibility, triangulation of sources, digital advertising oversight, and accountability mechanisms. The second part offers a step-by-step guide that helps CSOs move from data collection to public reporting, ensuring that findings reach election management bodies, parliamentarians and the wider electorate.
Indian election observers stress clean campaigning in Nagaon
In a concrete illustration of on-the-ground monitoring, the Election Commission of India appointed a General Observer and an Expenditure Observer to brief candidates for the upcoming Nagaon Lok Sabha by-poll. The meeting, held in Nagaon district, reiterated the importance of the Model Code of Conduct and urged parties to keep campaigns disciplined and free from intimidation. The Expenditure Observer stressed the need for meticulous record-keeping and strict adherence to the legal spending ceiling, echoing the broader regional call for stronger enforcement.
By linking the high-level framework with real-world case studies—from data-driven audits in Jakarta to field checks in Colombo—and by highlighting the Nagaon preparatory session, the report demonstrates that civil society can bridge the gap between law and practice, making campaign finance more transparent across Asia.
