THE policy commission of the ruling People’s National Party is hoping that there will be legislation in place by next March, authorising the public funding of political parties.

But while senior PNP officials were known to be in broad support of the concept at their annual conference yesterday, it is still to be debated throughout the party before it formally becomes policy.

The issue of campaign financing has long been on the agenda of the PNP and in recent years has been strongly pushed by Anthony Hylton, the chairman of the policy commission, who has consistently raised fears about drug lords and other corrupt or private interests buying their way to influence and power.

At yesterday’s private session of the PNP conference, Hylton unveiled a report by his commission, outling the broad principles on how to proceed. It called for bi-partisan talks and a national dialogue on the issue.

“This could commence with informal discussions with the (Opposition) Jamaica Labour Party on our respective proposals on political party regulations and party finance,” said the document.

Like the PNP, the JLP has been discussing the issue, which was placed firmly on its agenda two years ago when the JLP’s former leader, Edward Seaga, claimed that “tainted money” was being used to finance the campaign of one of the candidates for a deputy leader’s slot.

Seaga subsequently withdrew the charge but set up a committee to review procedures for the state-financing of parties. Seaga and Prime Minister P J Patterson also discussed the issue.

In its report, the PNP’s policy commission said that there is a need for specific law requiring the parties to be registered and to meet certain standards for continued recognition, similar to what happens in the case of trade unions.

It suggested that the Electoral Advisory Commission (EAC), appropriately resourced, would, by law, be designated the regulatory body to monitor and ensure the parties remain in compliance with the act.

Required legal standards would include:

. observing of the political code of conduct;

. disclosure of audited financial statements;

. lodging annual reports with the EAC; and

. disclosing of sources of financing above certain value to be determined by the EAC.

It proposed that public subsidy should be in terms of:

. tax breaks;

. broadcast time during election periods;

. publication of manifestos and programmes;

. stipend for scrutineers and other party election officials;

. provision of public transportation;

. availability of public buildings for approved meetings;

. cash allocations based on a formula related to the number of votes received by parties; and

. an appropriate formula for funding newly registered first-time election parties.

Defined violations would lead to sanctions including significant fines and the withholding of state funding.

The commission also recommended:

. an upper limit on contributions to candidates and parties;

. prohibition of anonymous contributions; and

. a limit on election-related spending for different categories of elections including internal elections.

balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com