Dear Editor,
Now that the elections process in Guyana has changed to have some form of ‘primary’ within the political parties to elect a presidential candidate, have the elections laws changed to accommodate this? I am particularly interested in finding out whether appropriate laws have been put in place regarding campaign financing. With multiple presidential candidates representing the various political parties, what happens to the unused portions of the funds raised by the individual candidates once a single candidate has been elected/selected? Does that money go into the parties’ central elections campaign ‘kitty,’ or are these kept by the candidates, and if so for what purpose? And to whom will these candidates account for funds raised?
While I would not want this issue to cause any delay or postponement of general elections constitutionally due this year, I certainly am of the view that some code of ethics should be put in place, if this hasn’t already been done, to guide the issue of campaign financing.
Campaign fundraising should not become a presidential ‘sweepstake.’
Yours faithfully,
Wesley Kirton
