Party funding: Leading by example

Thumbs up to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi's proposal that regulations on party financing be drawn up immediately. His recommendation followed a request by PN general secretary Joe Saliba and now the Cabinet has agreed that discussions on the issue should be held.

Party financing had been on the country's agenda for a number of years but always ended up on the backburner as no agreement was ever reached on the matter.

People have a right to know how our political parties are funded and who gives what to whom. People want the parties to be transparent and accountable and this is precisely why Dr Gonzi has decided to take the bull by the horns and do something about it.

Malta is one of only a few states lacking legislation that ensures that political parties disclose the sources of their funding. Until regulations are in place and donations and their donors are disclosed, people will continue to think that the financing of our political parties is shady and stinks.

Way back in 1995, then Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami had set up what was known as the Galdes Commission to try and reach a solution on the matter but there was disagreement on the limit of donation amounts. In its 1996 electoral manifesto the Labour Party had promised that once in government it would seek to regulate party finances. Unfortunately, Labour's proposal was soon shelved and never saw the light of day in the two years of the Sant administration.

From 1998 onwards the country's agenda was inevitably dominated by EU issues until the matter was finally laid to rest in the 2003 referendum. Barely three years at the helm of the country and his party, Dr Gonzi will now see to it that things get moving.

He set the example when he declared that as leader of the Nationalist Party he was not binding himself to any amounts proposed by the commission, but was willing to lower the benchmarks of the donation limits recommended. Not only that, he stated that the Nationalist Party was willing to publish the accounts of its commercial companies and how the building of its Dar Centrali was being financed.

Prime Minister Gonzi's decision will foster more trust in the political system. This is exactly what people want. They want concrete action and not cheap talk. Fictitious allegations meant to tarnish one's opponent and empty promises that these allegations will be followed up once in government (after which it turns out that they were based on false premises) only serve to give a bad name to politics.

What politicians should seek is not cheap political mileage but effective decisions which yield concrete results. It was a bold decision by the Prime Minister who apparently had enough of the issue being discussed only internally, within the parties; he felt it should move on to other more important levels.

One hopes that his suggestion and his pledge that his party would find no difficulty in opening up its books for the sake of transparency is agreed upon and the MLP will follow suit. Dr Gonzi gave the country a lesson in transparency. He led by example. All the people of goodwill demand it and support it, as for them transparency is of paramount importance.