Opposition Leader Michael Pintard during a sitting of the House of Assembly on May 1, 2024. Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune News Editor
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
MICHAEL Pintard said the Free National Movement is willing to disclose its financial donors if Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis is willing to do the same for the Progressive Liberal Party.
“We are willing to lay the list of our donors on the table,” he said during a press conference yesterday. “Are you willing to lay yours?”
“Are you willing to answer whether or not most of the major companies that are presently engaged by this government, that your administration has received contributions from?”
“Are you willing to deny that from the time of Sir Lynden Pindling to now, Grand Bahama Port Authority has made contributions to all the political organisations, including yours?”
Mr Pintard also questioned whether the PLP would reveal if companies that have benefited from no-bid contract awards have financially contributed to the party.
“Let’s see how transparent he is,” he said.
His comment yesterday came after Mr Davis challenged him to reveal whether he received financial contributions from the Grand Bahama Port Authority.
Both major political parties have promised to enact campaign finance rules but have repeatedly failed despite calls from good governance advocates and international bodies like the Organisation of American States.
In its Blueprint for Change, the PLP’s pre-election manifesto, the party promised campaign finance reform. However, in August 2022, Mr Davis said campaign finance reform was not a priority, and officials have given no indication since then that the matter will be addressed.
“He’s had long enough to introduce the legislation,” Mr Pintard said yesterday, adding that the FNM supports campaign finance legislation.
His predecessor, Dr Hubert Minnis, promised to introduce campaign finance rules but did not deliver.
Comments
bahamianson 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Downright childish. This is a total distraction from the plp and the fnm. The point is not whom are the donors. What the p or the fnm should do is outline the do's and don't's or financing campaigns. This is the time for the plp to make corruption laws regarding financing of olitical partys. No one can accept more than 500 dollars from any individual or group. Otherwise , face jail time. Both l3aders want those millions from one or two people whom they will control.
TalRussell 2 months, 3 weeks ago
When to call 911 or 919? -- Now-a-days. -- What do you do if you're relaxin' outside and a neighbor -- Volunteers to shows you their Garden Hose? -- Well, you'd be reaching for phone so as summon for duh Policemans' ... Yes?
ExposedU2C 2 months, 3 weeks ago
In other words, dumbo Pintard wants the FNM and PLP to exchange bogus listings of their donors with no verification of the authenticity of the names, dates and amounts shown on the lists.
Bloviating Pintard probably does not even know that the late Sir Jack Hayward and his late partner Edward St. George gave corrupt Poodling and certain other high ranking members of the initial (first) PLP government an 8% partnership stake in the GBPA for all sorts of political favours.
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