This test is currently in full swing, it said. “A serious assessment of when this can be ended is currently not possible. The ÖVP has told the Court of Auditors that the election campaign cost limit has been adhered to,” said the spokesman.
Since the review has not yet been completed, current developments can now also be taken into account. “In the past few days, suspicious situations have become known which – if they have actually taken place and, if so, continued in 2019 – could have an impact on the control of the 2019 annual report of the ÖVP,” is explained in the tweed.
The focus is therefore on the role of the Ministry of Finance: “The Court of Auditors must be presented with all surveys and studies including original receipts that were paid for by the Ministry in 2019 became.” Currently, the turquoise ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and his environment are being investigated on suspicion of infidelity. Surveys are said to have been fudged in favor of the ÖVP and paid for by the ministry using bogus bills, is the allegation.
The audit office also announced that it was already planned to take a closer look at the ministries. “Even before current events became known, our planning included an audit on the subject of ‘cost transparency in public relations in ministries’.” This test will take place, it was stressed.
Regardless of this, the control results of further accountability reports will soon be in the house, as the RH announced. The one on the SPÖ will be published next week, the report on the FPÖ in November.
Meanwhile, the President of the Social Democratic Academics (BSA), Andreas Mailath-Pokorny, called for the establishment of an independent clearing house for political surveys. “The alleged falsifications and deceptions in political surveys during the 2017 election campaign, which were reported on in the last few days, have suffered enormous damage to the image as a scientific method,” he complained. Such a facility could take on the task of sifting through and releasing the raw material and methods of the survey. Mailath-Pokorny suggested that the position could be established in the Association of Market and Opinion Research Institutes.
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