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Phillips wants provision to screen all political candidates
Monday Exchange
Alicia Dunkley
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
CHAIRMAN of the Opposition People's National Party's Communications Commission Dr Peter Phillips has called for provisions to screen all persons who offer themselves for political office.
Phillips told editors and reporters at the Observer's weekly Monday Exchange yesterday that such a provision would be one way of preventing persons with ties to the criminal underworld from sneaking into the ranks.
"I think some fit and proper provisions should be developed for all those who would offer themselves for elective office, whether at the national or local level, to be properly administered by an electoral commission," Dr Phillips said.
"There are issues about how far you want to deny persons their legitimate right to offer themselves but sometimes there are no perfect solutions. What you have to do is determine what is the primary threat we face," he added.
Dr Phillips said the procedures "would be applied anytime somebody offers themselves for election", but noted that it can't be willy nilly; "it has to be worked out; a judgement has to be made because information doesn't necessarily constitute truth".
"I believe we need to do more on this issue of sanctions and anti-corruption efforts," he told editors and reporters.
The East Central St Andrew Member of Parliament was responding to queries on whether a mandatory requirement for parties to disclose their sources of funding for political party campaigns would help blot out criminal associations.
Dr Phillips, while supporting the requirement for disclosure of party financing, said it was not as far-reaching on its own.
"We shouldn't underestimate the significance of organised crime for contaminating all the institutions of civil society. What the country has to deal with is how are we going to ensure we can in fact retreat from the brink [of] where we find ourselves," he said.
Monday Exchange
Alicia Dunkley
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
CHAIRMAN of the Opposition People's National Party's Communications Commission Dr Peter Phillips has called for provisions to screen all persons who offer themselves for political office.
Phillips told editors and reporters at the Observer's weekly Monday Exchange yesterday that such a provision would be one way of preventing persons with ties to the criminal underworld from sneaking into the ranks.
"I think some fit and proper provisions should be developed for all those who would offer themselves for elective office, whether at the national or local level, to be properly administered by an electoral commission," Dr Phillips said.
"There are issues about how far you want to deny persons their legitimate right to offer themselves but sometimes there are no perfect solutions. What you have to do is determine what is the primary threat we face," he added.
Dr Phillips said the procedures "would be applied anytime somebody offers themselves for election", but noted that it can't be willy nilly; "it has to be worked out; a judgement has to be made because information doesn't necessarily constitute truth".
"I believe we need to do more on this issue of sanctions and anti-corruption efforts," he told editors and reporters.
The East Central St Andrew Member of Parliament was responding to queries on whether a mandatory requirement for parties to disclose their sources of funding for political party campaigns would help blot out criminal associations.
Dr Phillips, while supporting the requirement for disclosure of party financing, said it was not as far-reaching on its own.
"We shouldn't underestimate the significance of organised crime for contaminating all the institutions of civil society. What the country has to deal with is how are we going to ensure we can in fact retreat from the brink [of] where we find ourselves," he said.
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