Our friends over at Barbados Free Press say that they agree with the Nation article that elections should not be state-funded –we disagree! We all know how both parties have operated over the years as far as funding elections is concerned. As the Nation articles states both parties have historically passed the hat around:
It does a country no harm that parties have to pass the hat around at election time. Politics is public business. That does not mean parties must be state funded, but their finances must be transparent.”
The reality though is that in that historically the BLP has been more aligned to the merchant class with the DLP formulating policies geared to the masses. Consequently it stands to reason that a BLP party would attract more funding. I am sorry but simple logic says that if a party is receiving significant funds from companies there should be some expectation from those companies that the decision making process of any BLP government would be flavoured or contain a bias to the donor companies. However the big conundrum is that for the BLP to win any government it probably has to make promises to the masses which would put it at variance with satisfying the expectations of the merchant class.
Barbados Free Press Article
Nation News Comes Out Against State-Funded Elections – We Agree
Article Actually Calls For Political Parties To Account For Their Finances!
“Political parties are prone to believing their organisational interest is identical to the public interest. It is not. The public interest lies in ensuring elections are contested as openly, intensely and freely as possible by people with their integrity intact.
It does a country no harm that parties have to pass the hat around at election time. Politics is public business. That does not mean parties must be state funded, but their finances must be transparent.”
… from a Nation News Editorial Parties Not Another Arm Of State
Hmmm…. maybe we’re making some progress here.Now let’s see if The Nation News starts naming names and —- oh yes —- Let’s see The Nation News DEMAND that Owen Arthur account for the $750,000 “campaign donation” cheque that was deposited into his personal account.
Come on, Nation News!
Do you have enough courage and sense of public duty to print that question in big bold letters?
To avoid or minimize the influence of the merchant or corporate class, state funded elections would be a good start to promote transparency which might just enable the environment for integrity legislation as well as encourage the formation of other parties.
David Thompson was calling for such a account by parties years ago!
I am happy that you agree. This is something that I have been calling for, for years now. The Nation newspaper is totally wrong on this issue. This will avoid the influence of companies like cowilliams ltd., Simpson Motors, BS&t, the Lottery Co. and myriads other companies corrupting the political directorate. Everyone like to point at the politicians and call them crooks while the real crooks, the corporate magnates escape to do their dirty deeds to other politicians. These white compnaies in Barbados has this down to a science. In any integrity legislation these corporate crooks need to be charged as well!
What one finds as well that these white companies give “donations” to both parties in election campaigns. So which ever party wins they are there waiting like vultures to collect their pouind of flesh. This sort of nosense also leads to unheavals in the country, simply because the politicians are unable to find a proper balance between the needs of the masses and the needs of theses corporate crooks. I believe that this is the main reason why the cost of living is sky high in Barbados. The government allows the corporate sector to set whatever prices they want in order to recoup contributions made to the BLP. As a result the poor black man is struggling. The monied class are not affected, with their wealth thay are insulated.
This comment maybe a little off subject but I needed to vent a bit here so thanks for your understanding.
What do we need to do to get our voices heard by these corrupt politicians that we have in office does it require an uprising of the peoples power to make them take notice?? What we have here are a group of people who have taken this island for a ride and stolen like crazy from us the taxpayers.
What does it take to get action on things like that barrier at Porters leading to Blandfords and Colony Club properties the gates erected by Eddie Fearless at Porters, the barrier erected by Mrs. Sixt at Porters you notice any common thread here these are all West Coast Elite properties with close pull to Owing and company hence the absolute failure of representative Rawle Eastmond to make any impact or have any steps taken to rid our country of this type of nonsense.
Have any of you taken a drive along our west Coast recently and examined the development that is taking place along our shoreline we are in the process of losing every single viewing area to the sea that we have there are so many condominiums being erected both on the seaside and landside that it is disgraceful, then we have a monster of a building being erected right along the roadside at the Coach House that makes me wonder had this not been owned by the fellows from the Sandy Lane group if they would have been granted Town and Country Planning permissions to erect this monster of a building right along a major road.
There are certainly two laws in this land one for the rich and one the poor.
BU would like to read get feedback from the two parties on this issue.
The first blogger above refers to Barbados companies as “white”. This cannot be shown to be synonymous, and is therefore incorrect. The above statement is indicative of a racial preference.
He speaks of promises made to the ruling class by the politicians, and payback time, which is often in conflict with the needs of the masses. Agreed.
From where has the funding come to build the local mosques and schools, and from where is the Islamic educational literature, that is in Arabic language? Has not a large part come from Saudi Arabia, and does it not contain racist teachings? Is this not a manipulation of Barbados by external sources?
Let he who is without blame cast the first stone.
Equals
This someone from BFP with their hatred of Muslims.
Take a look, you’ll see racism in the mirror.
State funded campaigns for political campaigns I believe is the way forward for a new first world Barbados. It does not have to be wholly funded it could a 50 50 situation as I believe operates in the US. This should go hand in hand with integrity legislation. I think it is difficult to have one without the other as people are forced to raise money to fund political campaigns which can be very expensive exercises.
Duguid do you have any light to shed on those Gov’t contracts that your construction company received for gov’t work???
Now no lies on this site now for once in your lifetime be honest with the public if you can honest !!!!
Doctor Duguid said that he didn’t get any government contracts.
Are you saying he did, WIV?