Edmond Campbell, Senior News Coordinator

Government Senator Professor Trevor Munroe continues to make a case for state funding of political parties, arguing that failure to adopt this measure could create an opening for transnational criminals to seek favours from government.

But while Prof. Munroe bats for state funding, Opposition Senator Dorothy Lightbourne wants Parliament to ensure that the soon-to-be established Electoral Commission has teeth to tackle incidents such as the Trafigura Beheer controversy that has dogged the Portia Simpson Miller-led administration for more than two weeks.

The comments were made in the Senate yesterday, during the debate on the Electoral Commission (Interim) Act, which was passed with two amendments.

Senator Munroe proposed that as a prerequisite for state funding,

political parties should be registered and meet financial disclosure requirements.

He said State funding should not necessarily be in the form of cash but could include the underwriting of certain expenses for the parties, including national broadcasts or of publication of party manifestos.

According to him, the Government has waived customs duties for political parties to import a total of 200 vehicles, which amounts to a subsidy of $500,000.

The Government Senator however, proposed a limit on State financing and private contributions.

Commenting on the proposed Electoral Commission, Senator Lightbourne said proper regulations are critical to strengthen the work of the Commission.

"Trafigura should have been thoroughly discussed. There should have been full disclosure on every aspect of it so that when we sit down to put in place these regulations we know the mischief we are dealing with and the mischief we are trying to stop," she contended.

For his part, Government Senator, Delano Franklyn, estimated that campaign expenses for the upcoming election could cost the two major political parties some $1 billion.

With that massive cost, Senator Franklyn questioned where the parties would garner these funds, suggesting that the Trafigura contribution of $31 million was insignificant. He challenged his Opposition counterparts to deny that they received funding from local and overseas sources.

Later during the debate, a charge by Opposition Senator Chris Tufton that executive agencies of Government used taxpayers money to shore up support for the governing party by advertising close to an election, elicited a sharp rebuke from Franklyn.

Dr. Tufton accused the government agencies of spending money unduly at the time of national elections. He said the Electoral Commission, which will have jurisdiction over the financing of political parties, should investigate this matter.

However, Senator Franklyn chided his colleague stating that his accusations were unfounded and that he used his parliamentary privilege to name State agencies that were operating above board.

The Electoral Commission (Interim) Act is a temporary measure pending the entrenchment of its provisions in the Constitution.

Piloting the Bill, Leader of Government Business in the Senate, A.J. Nicholson said the Commission, when established, would strengthen the democratic traditions of the country.

"Given the highly charged political environment especially concerning the funding of political parties, the functions of the Commission as it relates to this issue assumes a place of high priority," he said.

The Commission will, among other things, be responsible for compiling and maintaining the register of eligible electors; verifying the identity of every eligible elector; approving political parties eligible to receive State funding and administering electoral funding and financial disclosure requirements.