Devon Dick

The resignation of a Cabinet minister over the acceptance of a donation/ commercial transaction from a foreign company has raised the issue about state funding of political parties.

The main political parties get waivers on motor vehicles to execute their election campaigns. Adding more to that is not a good idea. To start, the State cannot afford it. Some expenditure would have to be cut so as to facilitate this.

In addition, the electorate has little stomach for that. The number of uncommitted voters showing little interest in national affairs demon-strates that it would not be a popular or wise expenditure. In addition, State funding is a difficult scheme to be equitable. Furthermore, Jamaica political parties are not having financial problems based on the PNP's presidential campaign, their recently concluded 'mother of all conferences' and the JLP's pre-election campaign.

There are alternatives to state funding that need to be explored, such as the political parties becoming more attractive to the electorate with a different style of operation, that is, being honest, transparent, responsive, inclusive and accountable.

Use community leaders

They also need to rely less on big donors and more on their supporters and well-wishers. Too many of the big donors to political campaigns pay their workers inadequately.

It would also be a good idea to cut the expenditure of the election campaigns.

Furthermore, outsiders are imposed on constituencies and too much money has to be spent to sell candidates to constituencies. If persons were from the communities and already community leaders, then a smaller election budget would suffice.

There are already enough allega-tions about the abuse of state funds and increased state funding for political parties could be exacer-bating. In the recent PNP presidential race, one camp claimed that the other camp was abusing state funds. In addition, JLP leaders made the accusation that persons within the party were involved with receiving tainted money.

The resignation of a Cabinet minister begs the questions. Was it abuse of state funds? Did he use party funds for personal gain?

More answers needed

To what extent were the officers of the PNP aware of the income and expenditures? What about the other PNP leaders who stoutly defended this gift/commercial transaction? What did they know and when? The PNP needs to give more answers. There needs to be a through inde-pendent enquiry to answer some of the other questions asked by civil society.

If this were an abuse of State funds, why didn't the bank alert the authorities to suspicious banking transactions? Did the management fall asleep on the job? It is not the employee alone who needs to be relieved of her position.

Did the employee of the bank who allegedly leaked the information at first, report it to the head of the bank? If persons break the law when there are alternatives, they must suffer the consequences of their actions.

The Leader of the Opposition needs to answer some questions about his modus operandi? Did he aid an illegal, unethical activity? Is it fair for the employee to be punished and the leader get away scot-free? What other banking information he has and on whom? Why did he not take this information to the police? Has the JLP received questionable donations?

It cannot be business as usual. The political parties need to reform the way they are funded, but one thing is clear, no more State funding.

The Rev. Devon Dick is pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church and author of 'Rebellion to Riot: the Church in Nation Building'.