NIA calls for widened limits on party spending and campaign contributions

 

Principal Director of National Integrity Action, Professor Trevor Munroe, wants amendments to the Representation of the People Act to allow for the limits on party and candidate spending and contributions to be widened and not restricted to the campaign period.

 

Professor Munroe says this is a big loophole.

 

He says the limits should be on spending and donations year round and these should be disclosed.

 

"I could be giving all year round to the political party or the candidate prospective 'x' number of dollars, far exceeding the limits. And all I would need to do to get around that limitation, for example, is to give $10 million every month to party 'x' and that would not be in breach of the law, because the limitation on contributions applies only the day after the election is announced to the election itself, and thereafter, the reporting period 180 days following, Professor Munroe, who was speaking Friday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106, explained. 

 

Contributors may give a maximum $1.5 million to each candidate and up to $31.5 million to a registered political party. 

 

There are also stipulations for contributors to make declarations.

 

Professor Munroe pointed out that in the United States and United Kingdom persons can view all donations to political parties at all times.

 

He sought to explain the rationale for legislators agreeing to limit the disclosure for spending and contributions to the campaign period, noting "that compromise was made in order for the majority in the parliament to accept that these campaign finance regulations should be approved."

 

"It was not something that many of us agreed with, but we said look, rather than saying all or nothing, let's take a first step. There was no limitation before for any period by any political party. This legislation applies to a restrictive period. Let's get that first and then move with citizens' support, participation, advocacy, and then extend that to an all year round limitation," he reasoned.