PM Laments Election Costs
By Macushla N. Pinder
If Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham had his way, he would reform the way general elections play out in The Bahamas.
This he said would include shaving down the amount of money spent on the process.
"In order to make elections less expensive, I’d like for political parties to all agree and to make illegal the giving away of t-shirts at election time. It’s a very expensive proposition. It drives up costs," Mr. Ingraham told reporters yesterday.
"In other parts of the world like Barbados, people come in and buy the party’s shirt. They pay their $5 and $10 for it. In The Bahamas, we give out thousands and thousands and it’s very expensive."
The prime minister’s comment came during his response to campaign finance reform, an issue that always arises when another general election draws near.
During the 2002 election season, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) promised to address the matter, but nothing was ever made public in this regard.
The party at the time said, "The Constitution ought to provide that Parliament may prescribe by law for open and fairness in procedure for funding of parties at elections both local and national. There ought to be prescribed national limits on party political expenditure with appropriate penalties."
After the 2007 general election, former Prime Minister Perry Christie suggested that one of the reasons the Free National Movement won is because special interest groups and "hidden forces" heavily financed it.
But Prime Minister Ingraham yesterday told reporters he has no difficulty "whatsoever" disclosing the source of his funding.
He however pointed out that those countries that do have campaign finance laws have found them to be "very ineffective."
But places that do have campaign finance laws, they have found it to be very ineffective.
"What they spend on elections in the United States is unbelievable and they have campaign finance laws. You cannot legislate honesty. The dishonest would be dishonest no matter what you do," he said.
In addition to campaign finance laws, some Bahamians also believe that public debates heading into a general election should be a must.
Mr. Ingraham however disagrees.
"I think parties put forward their platforms and programmes and the public has the opportunity to choose," he said.
"There are debates that take place everyday. When we have the rally, we will have a debate. We will say what we have to say. The next side will say what they have to say. I don’t think one-off is going to help people help make their minds up one way or the other. I think we have a very effective system."
While keeping mum on when the next general election will take place, the prime minister assured Bahamians he would not be late in calling it.
"It will not be that my minister of immigration would be in Marsh Harbour, Abaco swearing in new citizens – Haitians, who were given citizenship – and they go next door to register to vote and the prime minister in Nassau announces that elections have been called," he said.
"I will not be doing that kind of foolishness."
March 17th, 2011
jonesbahamas
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
