It is to be hoped that the island's political parties will accept the offer of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) to act as an honest broker in drafting a code of conduct governing political contributions ahead of proposed legislation on the matter.

For, as the JCC pointed out, the current debate over the $31 million contribution by the Dutch commodities trade company, Trafigura Beheer, to the governing People's National Party (PNP), helps to reinforce a perception of a culture of corruption in Jamaica, which is in need of urgent attention.

There is little doubt on our part that the bosses of Trafigura did not open their cheque book to the PNP because they believe Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller is an attractive and charismatic leader, who, as she claimed at the PNP's conference recently, was scrounging among the poor for party funding. Rich people and companies like Trafigura, Mrs. Simpson Miller implied, preferred to give their money to the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party.

Trafigura decided to finance the PNP, we feel, because it wanted to buy influence. It trades oil for Jamaica and wants to retain that contract and, perhaps, gain others.

People are naturally suspicious of foreign firms and individuals who make contributions to political parties, and such unease tends to deepen if the party forms the government and the firm happens to do business with the state. Indeed, many countries ban foreign political contributions, which is a matter to be considered by Jamaica when it comes to fashion laws and regulations governing political gifts.

INAPPROPRIATE

However, as we agonise over the Trafigura gift, which Mark Myers, the JCC president, branded as "inappropriate," we would be wrong to assume that foreigners are the only ones with the capacity to purchase their way to power and to provide us with the best democracy that money can buy. Indeed, influence trading, buying and selling, are well within the capacity of Jamaicans, individuals and companies. The chamber would hardly doubt that Jamaican firms and high net worth individuals have over many decades contributed to political parties not only for high-minded reasons - which may be the overwhelming cause - but only for the promotion of private and/or commercial interests. These interests are not always congruent with what is best for the majority and the process of democracy.

In that regard, when the chamber comes to play the role of honest broker-facilitator in developing the proposed code on political contributions, it must be wary lest it fashion a system with so many loopholes that it serves more as an escape hatch for domestic power brokers than a real brake on political excesses. Companies and individuals who make contributions to political parties must be aware that these gifts will have to be registered and be open to public scrutiny so that such contributions can be judged against current and future policies. Political contributors cannot expect to hide behind arguments of the smallness of the society and other esoteric considerations.

In that context, we support tough legislation, with strong sanctions, applying not only to the parties and politicians but also to those who would seek to influence. We look forward to the leadership of the JCC in this regard.

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