How are the two political party giants going about raising funds for the general election, and how much have they secured commitment for so far? The answers are not merely internal party affairs. They impinge on the style and content of the actual and alternative government. A government that is indebted to large business donors will not be in an ideal position to administrate without favour, as well as fear.

Both parties claim they ask for small contributions from as many donors as possible. They certainly do that as often as they can. Neither the PN nor the MLP felt inhibited to hold out a hand and ask for more from the party faithful over the Christmas period.

What if that was the time when people mostly remember the absolute or relative poor and the disadvantaged? When fund raisers ask us all to dig into our pocket as deeply as we can?

Charity begins at home, and the party home is always in need of funding. No one is forced to give. Those who do so to their parties probably still make sure they also respond to appeals to raise funds for the less fortunate.

The parties report how much they raise from their publicised fund-raising campaigns. That is as it should be. The totals revealed, be they large or not so large, also have a demonstration effect. Party loyalists make a mental note to give more, the next time around.

What the political parties never give is an answer to the opening two questions above. It is not that they are lost for words, or for figures. It is simply that they do not feel honest transparency is the best policy.

It is understandable that political parties try to raise funds. Parties are expensive to run. Membership fees help meet no more than a small fraction of the cost. Party media are not invariably net money contributors.

Not infrequently, party media are a financial drain, which cannot be defrayed by political gain from them. The banks extend facilities to political parties, or their companies. Loans and overdrafts have to be serviced and, eventually, repaid.

Fund-raising through donations is a must. The objectionable factor is that the political leaders never state that they will not seek them from business sources, with all the related implications. So far, so bad. What makes it worse is the way the political parties go about it, giving no public satisfaction, and cynically spinning the little donor line.

That is palpable falsehood. Never more so than when the parties are preparing for a general election. Modern campaigning implies costs higher than ever before, even if much of the publicity produced is ineffectual and pure waste.

With the general election on the horizon, party fund-raisers are targeting business people, setting them specific figures running into tens of thousands of liri. Euro commitments are also welcome, of course.

The targeting has nothing to do with party allegiance. It is put forward in frank terms: The general election is close; the party needs funds; we think you are good for X thousands (20, 25, something like that).

Business people talk about it, openly or behind their hands. They describe the approaches as political cheek, but see their donations as an investment.

That is as deeply worrying as the political hypocrisy about small donors is disgusting. If the party leaders will not seriously prohibit their party and well wishers from seeking business donations, they should come clean about the sources and the sums.

How much are they getting? From who? Frankly revealing details of business donations will not change their inherent IOU characteristics. It will, at least, bring the IOUs in the open.

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