Party-financing law urgent

Should Jamaica's new Parliament find greater energy than the last one, which we hope it does, among the first bills it should pass is the one to regulate political party and election campaign financing.

For while Opposition Leader Andrew Holness and Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller were able to boast of Jamaica's democratic traditions and the fact that we have abided by the will of the electorate over the past 30 years, its survival cannot be taken for granted. Or, in the absence of transparency, the process can be so corrupted that the notion of the will of the people can becomes illusory.

Recent observations by the Gleaner Council, this newspaper's public affairs think tank, underpin the point. The reported accounts for the governing People's National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party for their last financial year indicated, respectively, a surplus of J$300,000 and a deficit of J$3 million.

Yet, between them, it is estimated that they spent $2 billion on the campaign for the December 29 general election. Based on the voluntary declarations of five companies, the public is certain about J$69 million in contributions to their campaign funds.

Of the estimated remaining J$1.931 billion, the public knows nothing. There is no law that requires parties to say how they get their money, although pending legislation will set a benchmark at which contributions have to be reported to the Electoral Commission of Jamaica.

In the meantime, people wishing to buy policy favours, or criminals seeking insulation against the law, could conceivably purchase such protection, or even direct presence in the legislature.

By whom, and how, our parties are financed are important matters.

But as we wait for those laws to be passed, the party leaders should ensure that existing ones are adhered to, demanding early and honest declarations by candidates of their expenditure in the campaign, which is limited to J$10 million per candidate per constituency.

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.