Let the parties bare all

The Nationalist Party's general secretary was in a mood of relative frankness over the weekend. He admitted to The Times that the PN receives donations from contractors. But, he unctuously added, that does not translate into (government) contracts. According to the gentleman, no political party can survive without donations and he had no doubt that Labour receives donations from contractors as well.

Given that the MLP leadership has often said that it gets by with small donations from the many small fry and not big money from big honchos, the PN official's perception might be considered a slur on Labour and should elicit quick denial. There was a time when political parties did get by without large donations. That was when belief among the multitude was the main fuel that drove them forward.

It is sad, and I would say even alarming, that a party chief should imply that big business donations are nowadays essential. It may be that he is reflecting a contagion. Businesspeople are letting it be known from one side of their mouth that they were surprised to be buttonholed to donate thousands of good old fashioned liri - mm, let's see, you should be good for Lm20K, shouldn't you.

Party people may well say that fat donations do not translate into contracts. But they definitely constitute an obligation. Most businesspeople do not donate so as to share the fruit of their endeavour with that or the other party. They see their donations as an investment. They donate to curry favour, to have some assurance that when they knock on doors they would be opened to them. Donations do not have to translate into contracts to be dubious or reprehensible.

The only way for business giveaways to political parties not to create suspicion is for them to be held up to the scrutiny of the public. Preferably, parties should not receive large donations. But if they do, they should be obliged to reveal them in an annual return, and certainly within one month from any election, general or local.

The other side of the picture should be a similar obligation on businesspeople to reveal political donations, whether made in cash or in kind, in their audited accounts, and for that information to be included in the compulsory data accessible at the MFSA. It should be part of an auditor's work to see that such requirements and standards are met.

There should be an end to empty talk and a beginning to honest action. The PN general secretary said in his interview that he had no objection for political parties to start publishing their accounts. It should not be a question of "no objection". It ought to be a matter of conviction in transparency, and action.

Political parties should publish their audited accounts in a manner that allows anyone to follow the source and application of their funds. If the PN is really ready to do that, it has an opportunity to gain a head start on its opponents. What's keeping it from doing so? What's keeping both large parties from coming clean?

In the business world certain information is withheld because to reveal it could place the business at a disadvantage in regard to competitors. Politics is not a business and any competition should be in regard to the soundness of a party's proposals, in seriousness and honesty.

What are the parties waiting for to bare all, to demonstrate they have nothing to hide?