There’s A Dire Need for Campaign Finance Legislation

Earlier this week, developer David Gegg appeared before the Senate Special Select Committee where he was grilled about the definitive agreement that was awarded under the previous administration.  During his interrogation, Gegg, the principal of Portico Enterprises Limited, told the panel that a request for campaign financing was presented to him as a quid pro quo for the definitive agreement.  The revelation once again has raised questions about the need for campaign finance legislation to be enacted.  Prime Minister John Briceño shared his thoughts on the matter.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“That’s something that has to be taken [into consideration], we have to take a hard look at.  We’ve been trying to find ways on how we can come up with some form of campaign finance legalization because there is no legislation, but it’s important that we be able to put something that can work.  The United States, for instance, as an example, for the presidential elections, you know, they have campaign finance legislation and it’s running them over a billion dollars per candidate.  Is that campaign financing legislation working?  Absolutely not.  So we need to find one that can work, I wish we could find one that would limit the amount of ads that you give, and t-shirts and everything else because it will make it easier for the political parties.  So it’s something that I support and we’re looking at, and hopefully we can come up with something that can work for Belize.”

 

Isani Cayetano

“It requires political will, nonetheless, and you guys have a super majority in the house.”

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“But it’s not about the will, it’s about having something that can work.  As I said all along, it is something I support.  Don’t you think I’d want to be able to have, to run a campaign where we would spend a fraction of what is necessary?  Of course we would, and we would make it so much easier for all the political parties.”