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Golding fears 'sinister motive' behind PNP campaign on party financing
Balford Henry, Observer writer
Monday, April 30, 2007
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Leader Bruce Golding fears possible sinister motives behind the ruling People's National Party's (PNP's) current campaign to regulate the financing of political parties.
Golding called on his supporters Saturday night to focus their minds, "because there might be a sinister attempt to so strangle the issue of financing of political parties, with not just regulations, but with the kind of exposure that would deter people from making a contribution".
"In other words," the Leader of the Opposition said, "there is no law that you can pass, there is no regulation that you can introduce, that can prevent the brown paper bag from being conveyed and transmitted from one to the other.
"If I were to pursue and enact legislation that makes it hard for you to collect money, but I know that I have access to a brown paper bag that doesn't come through the wire transfers, not delivered by any emissary, not recorded in any transaction, then it means that you broke, I have money, let's call the elections now," he argued.
Claiming that the PNP's passion for the matter seemed to have been aroused by his revelation of their $31-million donation from Dutch oil trader, Trafigura, in 2006, Golding compared it to, "is like when you catch a man in the banana walk with the banana, all of a sudden him want a law to deal with praedial larceny".
"We advise caution," Golding said at a fund-raising dinner for the JLP's South-West Clarendon constituency, led by candidate/caretaker Joel Williams, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Kingston.
Giving an example of a recent occurrence which had fed his fears, he noted that a recent contributor to the campaign of JLP candidate, Sally Porteous (Central Manchester), expressed to him concerns that after he appeared on television attending her fund-raiser, the income tax department suddenly wanted to reopen his income tax returns, which he had already signed off on.
"It could be coincidence. I am making no charges," Golding said.
The JLP leader advised the political parties to proceed with caution and suggested they talked to the private sector to hear what was their comfort level.
He, however, declared that whatever decision was made by the Electoral Commission on the issue would be accepted by the JLP.
Balford Henry, Observer writer
Monday, April 30, 2007
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Leader Bruce Golding fears possible sinister motives behind the ruling People's National Party's (PNP's) current campaign to regulate the financing of political parties.
Golding called on his supporters Saturday night to focus their minds, "because there might be a sinister attempt to so strangle the issue of financing of political parties, with not just regulations, but with the kind of exposure that would deter people from making a contribution".
"In other words," the Leader of the Opposition said, "there is no law that you can pass, there is no regulation that you can introduce, that can prevent the brown paper bag from being conveyed and transmitted from one to the other.
"If I were to pursue and enact legislation that makes it hard for you to collect money, but I know that I have access to a brown paper bag that doesn't come through the wire transfers, not delivered by any emissary, not recorded in any transaction, then it means that you broke, I have money, let's call the elections now," he argued.
Claiming that the PNP's passion for the matter seemed to have been aroused by his revelation of their $31-million donation from Dutch oil trader, Trafigura, in 2006, Golding compared it to, "is like when you catch a man in the banana walk with the banana, all of a sudden him want a law to deal with praedial larceny".
"We advise caution," Golding said at a fund-raising dinner for the JLP's South-West Clarendon constituency, led by candidate/caretaker Joel Williams, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Kingston.
Giving an example of a recent occurrence which had fed his fears, he noted that a recent contributor to the campaign of JLP candidate, Sally Porteous (Central Manchester), expressed to him concerns that after he appeared on television attending her fund-raiser, the income tax department suddenly wanted to reopen his income tax returns, which he had already signed off on.
"It could be coincidence. I am making no charges," Golding said.
The JLP leader advised the political parties to proceed with caution and suggested they talked to the private sector to hear what was their comfort level.
He, however, declared that whatever decision was made by the Electoral Commission on the issue would be accepted by the JLP.
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