Christopher Zacca, the president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) wants public disclosure of campaign donations, backed up by criminal penalties for political parties that fail to comply.

But Zacca admitted yesterday that the private sector was not at one in all respects on the call for public disclosure of campaign contributions, although there was willingness to examine the issue further.

“It’s been difficult to get a consensus on it,” Zacca said at a luncheon hosted by Observer chairman, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart to honour this year’s Business Observer Business Leader nominees.

“But I think where our position is, is that generally, the private sector is willing to look at the process of making campaign donations public, but not before there is a legislative framework that says that political parties are registered, that they have to have audited financial statements, and that there are criminal penalties for non-declaration of how they spend the money and so on,” the PSOJ head man added.

Moreover, Zacca was concerned that private sector members could find themselves in a position where they contributed money, but the political parties also got money from criminals and foreign companies and spent it without making it clear where the money came from.

“What we don’t want to do is to give them money, but they get cash from criminals and foreign companies etc and spend that cash without putting it onto their books because that will marginalise the legitimate private sector,” he told the luncheon.

Zacca also disclosed that he had offered his suggestion to the new Electoral Commission during a preliminary meeting, telling them: “Without criminal penalties for the parties I don’t see how this can

go ahead.”

The Electoral Commission is currently discussing ways to implement campaign financing reform, as general elections loom. The issue has taken on greater urgency following the brouhaha over the $31-million donation to the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) by the Dutch

oil trading firm, Trafigura last year.

The business leaders at yesterday’s luncheon generally agreed there was need for transparency in campaign donations. MegaMart CEO, Gassan Azan was of the view that private sector members who contributed should have a say in reforming the process of accepting campaign funds.

“The issue of campaign financing is burning right now (but) nobody wants to say who gives what,” said Azan. “Government should include private sector in every area of

decision making. Campaign financing comes from the private sector and we have never been consulted on whether it should become a public thing. We are the ones giving the money, we should have some input.”

Azan was also concerned with campaign donations coming from overseas, suggesting that their could be conflicting motives. He believed Jamaica should refer to the United States system of putting a limit on the amount of external donations that could be accepted from overseas.

“The outside influence is what worries me more because. you have outside influences that are trying to buy into a country,” said Azan. “It is clearly something that should be on the table (for discussion): limits and outside influences.”

Supporting the need for transparency, Butch Stewart said not every campaign donor had ulterior motives, as some gave because they felt it was in the best interest of the country, to support good corporate governance and democracy.

Using himself as example, he declared: “The matter is a very serious matter. I have never once said that I was giving this to get that.”

However, Ryland Campbell, president of Capital & Credit Financial Group and last year’s Business Observer Business Leader, didn’t think the proposal for public disclosure of party funding would bear fruit, primarily because of what he described as the “reprisal” instinct

of Jamaicans.

“I don’t think that it will materialise because this society tends to have extreme discrimination and reprisal for any corporation who seems to be providing any financial support for one party over the other,” said Campbell. “It shows the level that our society has sunk to in terms of our relationship with one another.”