Edmond Campbell, Senior News Coordinator
Abe Dabdoub in the House of Representatives. - RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
INDEPENDENT MEMBER of Parliament (MP) for St. Catherine North Eastern, Abe Dabdoub, is proposing far-reaching legislation to govern the funding of political parties.
Such legislation would make provision for politicians and political parties to account for donations and funds they receive for political purposes and for disclosure of the identity of the donors, as well as the source of the donation.
Under the proposed law, political parties would be required to reject donations that are anonymous and are made by persons who are not permissible donors. Political parties are also expected to refuse funds that are derived from an illegal source.
The issue of tainted money used in political campaigns is not uncommon in Jamaica and questions have been raised in the past about the source of funding for political parties. Government Senator Professor Trevor Munroe, in particular, has for years maintained a strong stance on the need for an examination of party funding.
LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
According to Mr. Dabdoub, the lack of transparency by political parties to their membership has contributed significantly to the belief that many politicians are either involved with, or are being funded by, persons whose source of funds is questionable.
The Independent MP told The Gleaner he was not in favour of the use of public funds to finance elections, at least not before the political parties and candidates are made accountable to the public for donations.
"When that has been achieved, one can look at taking money from the public purse to fund elections because then the public will be aware of how its money is being utilised and accounted for," Mr. Dabdoub said.
The proposed legislation sets out certain stipulations by which funding should not be accepted by a party. They include: "If it is offered by someone who is not a permissible donor; the identity of the person offering the donation is not known and the source of the donation is not disclosed by the donor as being derived from a legitimate as distinct from an illegal source."
PERMISSIBLE DONORS
Permissible donors, according to the draft legislation, include a person registered in an electoral register; a company registered under the Companies Act or the Partnership Act, which carries out business in Jamaica; a registered party; trade union registered under the Trade Union Act and any other incorporated association of two or more persons doing business in Jamaica.
In a statement delivered by Jamaica Labour Party Deputy Leader Derrick Smith at the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica's Annual Economic Seminar last month, Opposition Leader Bruce Golding rejected recommendations from the Trevor MacMillan-led Task Force on Crime, that the names of those who fund political parties should be made public, arguing that honest and legitimate financiers would also be discouraged from participating in the process.
