Granger urges more citizen participation in electoral politics

Opposition Leader and A Partnership for National Unity Chairman, Brigadier (retired) David Granger has called for greater citizens’ representation in Caribbean electoral politics.
He made this call while participating in a two-day regional forum on “strengthening regulation of political parties and political financing systems in the Caribbean”. The forum, sponsored by the Organisation of American States and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, brought together representatives from government and opposition parties from 14 Caricom states in Bridgetown, Barbados May 8-9.

Granger, reacting to the “Draft Model Law on the Regulation of Political Parties and Political Financing Systems” advanced by the OAS, suggested that, at this time, emphasis should be placed on strengthening ‘representation’ of citizens rather than ‘regulation’ of parties.
Granger pointed out that Caribbean constitutions guaranteed freedom of association and the political system should aim at reinforcing, rather than restricting, that freedom.
The forum was declared open by Barbadian Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and was addressed by OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza.
Insulza said political financing reform is necessary, “not only for the consolidation of free and fair elections, but for the strengthening of democracy”.
“This is not only our duty, but our obligation so that the peoples of the Americas may realise their aspiration for a fair, democratic system, and benefit from the certainty of liberty and equality, which are intrinsic to democracy and indispensable for greater freedom and justice,” said the OAS leader.
“Political funding should not be stigmatised,” the secretary general added, “as it is a necessary part of a healthy and normal democratic life. However, it is undeniable that money can introduce important distortions to the democratic process.”
Addressing those distortions is crucial, he said, as “the perception of legitimacy lies at the core of this discussion”. The leader of the hemispheric organisation stated that in most countries of the Caribbean where the OAS has deployed Electoral Observation Missions, there is a need for greater regulation of political parties and political financing systems. Nonetheless, he noted as positive the tendency in the region to “seek a balance in the influence of money in politics, and to strengthen the mechanisms for transparency and accountability”.
The meeting saw the participation of 42 delegates, and was aimed at discussing the underlying complex relationship between money and democracy.
The forum builds upon a 2010 regional consultation on model campaign finance legislation organised by the OAS in Kingston, Jamaica, and aims to engage high-level stakeholders in the development of laws and regulations on political financing in order to ensure transparent and equitable electoral processes in the region.