Getting rid of all discredited political candidates

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

To serve the people of Jamaica in the House of Representatives and the Senate is a great privilege and among the highest honours which can be bestowed on a citizen of this country.

It stands to reason, therefore, that those persons offering themselves as electoral candidates must pass the highest standards of integrity and their suitability to serve as members of parliament must be open to the most intense public scrutiny.

What are the criteria and standards to which candidates for public office must be held to by proof — such as sworn statements — and not merely by assertion or verbal denial?

In our view, the most important agreement between all parties and candidates must be a binding Code of Integrity. This Code must be signed by all candidates who must also agree to relinquish their seat in either chamber whether elected or selected. No one will be eligible to be a candidate for the House if they cannot pass the requirements of the Code of Integrity which must contain the following criteria:

* The stipulations of the Constitution of Jamaica on what offences disbar a person from being a member of parliament must be adhered to in full.

* The annual financial disclosure requirements for MPs must be filed and updated. These are not to be disclosed to the public but should be available to both party leaders and to the Courts if necessary. Candidates must also give assurances that they or their immediate family are not unfair beneficiaries of contracts with the Government of Jamaica.

* All candidates must prove beyond any doubt that they are not citizens of any non-Commonwealth country before offering themselves as candidates. There should be a criminal charge or some sort of stringent penalty for failure to disclose this fact prior to being a candidate.

* Anyone, including an MP, who is currently facing criminal charges cannot be a candidate until they are exonerated. The same applies to persons under active investigation by a foreign government or international organisation. This obviously has implications for the Jamaica Labour Party's Mr Joseph Hibbert and the People's National Party's Mr Patrick Roberts.

* Any person aspiring to be a candidate must be able to explain publicly why any foreign government has withdrawn their visa. Read Mr James Robertson. In this regard, we're hoping that any foreign governments with evidence against any candidates will "out" them before the upcoming general election, and so spare us the trauma and drama of doing it after. In so doing, they would be helping us restore the integrity of Jamaican democracy.

We urge all Jamaicans to come forward to the police and other appropriate authorities with evidence which could lead to the disqualification of any candidate. It is our patriotic duty to restore integrity to the political process as a necessary condition for the governance that the Jamaican people deserve and desperately need.

This is something we can do. It is something we must do.

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Getting rid of all discredited political candidates