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EDITORIAL - Campaign funding hypocrisy
published: Saturday | April 7, 2007
Earlier this week, we lamented in these columns the missed opportunities and opportunism that have attended the Trafigura debate. But it is not yet too late, we believe, to salvage something of real value from this unfortunate episode. In this regard, we urge Prime Minister Simpson Miller to go beyond the talk; and we call on Jamaicans to insist with us that she act upon her word.
At a rally on Monday to mark her first anniversary as leader of the People's National Party and Prime Minister of Jamaica, Mrs. Simpson Miller told her supporters that she was prepared to open the books of her party to show who were its financial contributors. Mrs. Simpson Miller felt impelled to this declaration of intent because of the pressure she, the Government and her party have felt over the Trafigura affair - the scandal in which the Dutch commodity trader donated the equivalent of J$31 million to the PNP, having passed the money through an account controlled by PNP officials, including its former general secretary, Colin Campbell.
Trafigura, which has a contract to trade oil on Jamaica's behalf, it appears to us, had good reason to attempt to hide the transaction, which came to light because someone leaked the information to the Opposition. Mr. Campbell was forced to resign his government and party jobs because he did not give his colleagues the full facts of the deal. The Government and ruling party were embarrassed and the Opposition had a field day.
Special foreign company
Trafigura, however, was only special because it was a foreign company and had contracts with the Government. But its murky arrangement with the ruling party was not, we believe, unique. Many other firms and individuals fund political parties in an absence of transparency. We do not know of the quid pro quo arrangements which they enter with the parties. Indeed, Edward Seaga, the former leader of the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) not so long ago claimed that "tainted" money was used to campaign an internal party campaign he backed away from the allegation.
Yet, Mr. Seaga's successor, Bruce Golding, has dithered on campaign and party finance reform. He fears that if parties have to open their books fully, shy funders will melt away. Why, we ask? Not if they subscribe to transparency.
In the meantime, a perfectly decent bill tabled by Abe Dabdoub languishes in Parliament, stalled by the Opposition which says it first wants the Electoral Commission to present its own ideas for all-party endorsement. We are fearful that little or nothing will happen.
We were happy, therefore, when Mrs. Simpson Miller appeared on the verge of a unilateral decision to open her party's books for scrutiny. However, it seems that Mrs. Simpson Miller's offer is really a show-for-show; you show me yours and I'll show you mine.
To saythat the PNP can, but it doesn't, and to claim that the JLP can't, hardly takes the issue forward. So if Mrs. Simpson Miller is serious, she should show hers, opening fully the books of the PNP. Let the people decide whether they like what is revealed. But it first has to be shown.
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.</DIV>
EDITORIAL - Campaign funding hypocrisy
published: Saturday | April 7, 2007
Earlier this week, we lamented in these columns the missed opportunities and opportunism that have attended the Trafigura debate. But it is not yet too late, we believe, to salvage something of real value from this unfortunate episode. In this regard, we urge Prime Minister Simpson Miller to go beyond the talk; and we call on Jamaicans to insist with us that she act upon her word.
At a rally on Monday to mark her first anniversary as leader of the People's National Party and Prime Minister of Jamaica, Mrs. Simpson Miller told her supporters that she was prepared to open the books of her party to show who were its financial contributors. Mrs. Simpson Miller felt impelled to this declaration of intent because of the pressure she, the Government and her party have felt over the Trafigura affair - the scandal in which the Dutch commodity trader donated the equivalent of J$31 million to the PNP, having passed the money through an account controlled by PNP officials, including its former general secretary, Colin Campbell.
Trafigura, which has a contract to trade oil on Jamaica's behalf, it appears to us, had good reason to attempt to hide the transaction, which came to light because someone leaked the information to the Opposition. Mr. Campbell was forced to resign his government and party jobs because he did not give his colleagues the full facts of the deal. The Government and ruling party were embarrassed and the Opposition had a field day.
Special foreign company
Trafigura, however, was only special because it was a foreign company and had contracts with the Government. But its murky arrangement with the ruling party was not, we believe, unique. Many other firms and individuals fund political parties in an absence of transparency. We do not know of the quid pro quo arrangements which they enter with the parties. Indeed, Edward Seaga, the former leader of the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) not so long ago claimed that "tainted" money was used to campaign an internal party campaign he backed away from the allegation.
Yet, Mr. Seaga's successor, Bruce Golding, has dithered on campaign and party finance reform. He fears that if parties have to open their books fully, shy funders will melt away. Why, we ask? Not if they subscribe to transparency.
In the meantime, a perfectly decent bill tabled by Abe Dabdoub languishes in Parliament, stalled by the Opposition which says it first wants the Electoral Commission to present its own ideas for all-party endorsement. We are fearful that little or nothing will happen.
We were happy, therefore, when Mrs. Simpson Miller appeared on the verge of a unilateral decision to open her party's books for scrutiny. However, it seems that Mrs. Simpson Miller's offer is really a show-for-show; you show me yours and I'll show you mine.
To saythat the PNP can, but it doesn't, and to claim that the JLP can't, hardly takes the issue forward. So if Mrs. Simpson Miller is serious, she should show hers, opening fully the books of the PNP. Let the people decide whether they like what is revealed. But it first has to be shown.
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.</DIV>
(wry smile)
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