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'Corrupt culture' - Jamaica Chamber of Commerce criticises PNP on campaign contribution
published: Friday | October 6, 2006 <DIV class=KonaBody>
Mark Myers, president, <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">Jamaica</SPAN> Chamber of Commerce. - file
The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) yesterday labelled as "inappropriate" the $31 million <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">campaign </SPAN><SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">contribution</SPAN> by the Dutch oil trader Trafigura Beheer, to the governing People's National Party (PNP), saying the gift helps to reinforce the perception of a culture of corruption in Jamaica.
But while the JCC stopped short of telling the PNP to give back the money, it threw its support behind calls for legislation governing contributions to political parties and said an interim code of conduct should be put in place ahead of the next <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">general </SPAN><SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">election</SPAN>.
"... It is critical that, as a matter of the greatest urgency, legislation be agreed and passed to govern the contributions to political parties and their affiliates, by foreign and local donors," the JCC said in a statement issued by its recently-elected president Mark Myers.
But with speculation rife that Jamaicans could go to the polls before year-end, therefore providing little time for the drafting and debate of legislation, Myers said that the parties should "agree to a code of conduct and format for public disclosure" of contributions for the coming election.
Done nothing wrong
PNP General Secretary Colin Campbell yesterday insisted that the party had done nothing wrong in accepting the Trafigura cash.
"Any contribution
'Corrupt culture' - Jamaica Chamber of Commerce criticises PNP on campaign contribution
published: Friday | October 6, 2006 <DIV class=KonaBody>
Mark Myers, president, <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">Jamaica</SPAN> Chamber of Commerce. - file
The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) yesterday labelled as "inappropriate" the $31 million <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">campaign </SPAN><SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">contribution</SPAN> by the Dutch oil trader Trafigura Beheer, to the governing People's National Party (PNP), saying the gift helps to reinforce the perception of a culture of corruption in Jamaica.
But while the JCC stopped short of telling the PNP to give back the money, it threw its support behind calls for legislation governing contributions to political parties and said an interim code of conduct should be put in place ahead of the next <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">general </SPAN><SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: orange! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">election</SPAN>.
"... It is critical that, as a matter of the greatest urgency, legislation be agreed and passed to govern the contributions to political parties and their affiliates, by foreign and local donors," the JCC said in a statement issued by its recently-elected president Mark Myers.
But with speculation rife that Jamaicans could go to the polls before year-end, therefore providing little time for the drafting and debate of legislation, Myers said that the parties should "agree to a code of conduct and format for public disclosure" of contributions for the coming election.
Done nothing wrong
PNP General Secretary Colin Campbell yesterday insisted that the party had done nothing wrong in accepting the Trafigura cash.
"Any contribution