The price tag attached to Sunday’s PUP convention has reignited a much bigger debate: who is funding Belizean politics, and what influence does that money buy? Former Belize City Mayor and attorney Darrell Bradley says the reported hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on the municipal contest highlight the urgent need for comprehensive campaign finance reform. He argues that Belize must introduce clear rules requiring political candidates and parties to disclose where their money comes from and how they spend it. Without that transparency and accountability, Bradley warns that public confidence in the political system and the integrity of national leadership will remain at risk.
Darrell Bradley
Darrell Bradley, Attorney
“I think that Belize is really at a crossroads. And I think that there has to be a slew of political reform measures that put our country on the trajectory to sustain national, economic, social, cultural growth and political development. And I think part of that has to do with our electoral process. The rules of our political process have to be transparent and fair. Otherwise, we will not get the kind of leadership. We will not get the kind of policy, agenda, and programs for the advancement of Belize that will move the country forward. Part of that is not only the idea of campaign finance reform, but that’s an integral part, because politicians will do what people pay for. And so if you have a transparent system where money, which is an accepted part of politics, is regulated and is transparent, you can ensure that there is a level playing field, and you can ensure that political parties are transparent and accountable as it relates to how they collect and disperse funds. There are countries in the world who struggle with this idea of campaign finance reform, but they have good systems that are very, very transparent. I can go over right now, and I can look at the United States, and I can check out in each election in the past what political parties have collected and what they have spent.”
Bradley lost in his only attempt in the General Election by fifty-six votes to Kareem Musa in Caribbean Shores in 2015.
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