The incoming government is being urged to push ahead with laws for campaign financing.
Speaking at a Post-Election Media Conference on Tuesday afternoon, the Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group, Evarist Bartolo, said this has been its plea, which dates back a decade ago, and he wants the next government to make it a priority.
“Let me be blunt. It’s interesting that in this case, both major parties here seem to agree not to put it on the agenda.”
Mr. Bartolo said in his pre-election meeting with both major political parties, they did not show much interest in pushing the agenda of campaign financing. He said their response took somewhat of a diplomatic answer.
“The response of politicians. Yes, we are considering it. Yes, we took it to Parliament. Yes, there was the Joint (Select) Committee.”
Mr. Bartolo also responded to a question as to why the parties may be unwilling to do so.
“Well, usually the turkeys do not like Christmas. What is important is that there is pressure on making political parties go for campaign financing.”
He urged the public to mount pressure since the political parties would not voluntarily engage in such a process.
“This is an area where the media, I think, and where civil society have to put pressure on the political parties, because political parties, especially the main political parties in any country – I’m not talking about Trinidad and Tobago only – do not have the interest to do it. So it’s important that citizens take the initiative to force political parties to do it.”
He said it’s not a new call by the Observer Group, pointing out that the same group issued a similar one following the 2015 General Election in T&T.
“Ten years ago, this group, made up of different people, obviously, recommended that the incoming Parliament, political parties and all relevant stakeholders prioritise this process of regulating campaign financing.”
But Mr. Bartolo noted that this is not an issue solely affecting Trinidad and Tobago.
“That, unfortunately, Trinidad and Tobago is not the only jurisdiction, is not the only parliamentary democracy where campaign financing has not been regulated for the political parties. So you have regulation for the candidates, but not for the parties, and we think it’s in the interest of democracy worldwide, not just Trinidad and Tobago, not just in the Commonwealth.”
The Observer Group leaves the country on May 5th.