The adverse publicity in which the Progressive Liberal Party Government finds itself with respect to recent accusations made by Iranian businessman Mohamad Harajchi was a matter of “the chickens coming home to roost,” said the leader of The Bahamas Democratic Movement, Cassius Stuart on Sunday.
Describing the situation as “disgraceful,” Mr Stuart charged that for years, “gangsters, money launderers, drug dealers, number barons, and multi-national corporations” have financed Bahamian political parties, with the nation now reaching a point where important choices have to be made.
In a press statement, he said that leaders of past and present administrations have been so “corrupt” that they saw no need to implement campaign finance reform. He bemoaned the fact that after 31 years of independence, there has never been any legislation introduced to regulate contributions made to political parties, nor have there been any laws implemented which require political parties to be accountable to the Bahamian people.
“It is time to clean up our electoral process by finally implementing campaign finance reform. Legislation is needed to regulate what should be and should not be allowed,” he said.
No to drug-traffickers
Chairman of the PLP, Raynard Rigby, told The Guardian on Sunday that the party would examine a person’s character and would make the best efforts it could to ensure that he or she was “worthy” enough before a donation is accepted from them.
“If a known drug trafficker comes to us and gives us $10,000 we won’t take the money, because we would want to make sure that the campaign and the party’s integrity is not being undermined by the nature of the donation,” Mr Rigby said. He noted however, that there was nothing improper or illegal about accepting donations from Bahamians. “Political parties do it all the time, every single day,” he said.
$10 million
Zero credibility gap
Last Wednesday, Mr Harajchi alleged that he funded the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) during the 2002 election campaign in the amount of $10 million. However he produced only a canceled cheque in the amount of $100,000 to support his claims. At the time, he also made allegations against several Cabinet ministers, claiming that he offered either financial or strategic assistance to 90 per cent of the PLP’s cabinet. However, Prime Minister Christie, and several members of his Cabinet have since denied Mr Harajchi’s claims.
In response, Mr Christie said Mr Harajchi’s claim of donating $10 million to the PLP was an “absolute lie” and his contribution was a mere fraction of the amount. He said the party was presently conducting an accounting of monies received from Mr Harajchi and details would be made public once completed.
Vendetta
Mr Christie also accused Mr Harajchi of engaging in a “relentless campaign of vengeance” against the PLP Government, and expressed “complete confidence” in all of his Cabinet ministers. He said he was satisfied that no minister of his government sought or received any illegal or improper financial assistance from Mr Harajchi either before or following the 2002 General Elections.
‘Flawed process’
The ongoing dispute between the PLP and Mr Harajchi, the BDM leader said, was clear evidence that The Bahamian electoral process was deeply flawed. He noted that Mr Harajchi has claimed that he heavily supported the PLP in the last general elections to the sum of some $10 million, but the PLP was in disagreement, not about Mr. Harajchi’s contribution, but about the amount given.
It was demeaning for the leader and deputy leader of The Bahamas to be at such a “disgraceful crossroad” having to answer Mr Harajchi’s allegations, Mr Stuart said. He claimed that for years political parties in the Bahamas have been sponsored by “gangsters, money launderers, drug dealers, number barons, and multi-national corporations seeking to get governmental approval for numerous projects.”
‘No free lunch’
It was time for The Bahamas to truly deepen its democracy by removing the influence of such “undesirable elements” from its electoral process, within and outside The Bahamas’ borders, the BDM leader said.
“There is no such thing as a free lunch. There is always a quid pro quo (something for something). Whether it was $200,000 or $10,000,000, the Prime Minister knew the situation he was getting himself into. In that regard alone shame on our Prime Minister,” Mr Stuart said.
According to Mr Stuart, the present situation between the government and Mr Harajchi was not just a disgrace to the government, but also a disgrace to every Bahamian past and present.
It is time to fix the wrongs of the past, as Bahamians can no longer tolerate corruption within any political party, he said, Bahamians cannot allow the PLP to drag them in the “mud of corruption the way they did in the 80’s.”
“We cannot sit back and allow the good name of the Bahamans to be tarnished because of some politician whose quest of power is never satisfied, and whose greed for money consumes their desire to serve,” he said.
Steps now
The BDM proposed that legislation be enacted to ensure that steps are taken to clean up the electoral process and level the playing field for all candidates who seek to serve their country.
Among the recommendations were:
* An electoral commission should be established to oversee all campaign donations and spending.
* No one candidate must be allowed to spend more than $20,000.
* All donations must be disclosed publicly.
* All political patronage by the candidate should be illegal (money, ham, turkey, fridge, stove etc.)
* Political paraphernalia should be limited to manifestos, posters and leaflets, to avoid elections becoming a show.
“It is only when such measures are taken that we begin to have leaders who are seemingly above reproach,” the BDM said.
Tamara McKenzie, The Nassau Guardian
