CONTENDERS FOR the leadership of the presidency of the People's National Party (PNP), Dr. Karl Blythe, and team members of the Portia Simpson Miller camp have repeatedly charged that extensive bribery of party delegates is taking place to influence how they will vote when the intra-party elections take place.While their protestations suggest they eschew such behaviour as a matter of principle, we suspect more noise is coming from their camps because they are unable to enter that financial fray with as much vigour as those they accuse of the behaviour.
The giving and receiving of private money to influence public action may or may not be illegal depending on how far the recipient goes in carrying out the wishes of his or her financial backers. As regrettable and reprehensible as the practice may be, politics the world over thrives on influence, peddling and bribery. Many a cynic has observed that countries get the best politicians money can buy. We note that the United States is currently engaged in another investigation into the role of lobbyists who make financial contribution to the coffers of politicians and how they in turn may be rewarded.
The People's National Party of which Mr. Blythe and Mrs. Simpson Miller have been long-standing members, has neither been immune to nor averse to its practice.
Perhaps all the contenders for leadership in the present race should shift their focus to lifting the tone of the campaign to emphasise a commitment to principles of fair play and public service rather than immediate and short-term financial reward that any one of them could deliver. But people of goodwill cannot assume that the politicians have a higher commitment to moral principles than the rest of the society.
It is for persons of integrity in the wider society to insist on the mechanism being in place to reduce considerably or eliminate altogether, the ability of any one individual or groups of persons determining who gets what, when and where without a system of accountability and checks and balances. These systems should help to reduce the pork barrel politics - sophisticated or amateur, local or national - that is common to our elections.
This should be but the other plank in building an anti-corruption culture and modus operandi to which some of our leaders say they are committed.
