DAREECE POLO
Senior Reporter
dareece.polo@guardian.co.tt
The Council for Responsible Political Behaviour is reviewing at least six complaints about various political parties that have been accused of breaching its code as the campaign for elections on August 14 continues.
Sources said a press release on the complaints should be issued by today.
The Code of Ethical Political Conduct–which parties, coalitions and their candidates supposedly agreed to are 20 points–ranging from warnings against offering inducement or reward to another person, to not indulging in “negative” campaigning.
There is no consequence for breaching this code which has led National Transformation Alliance (NTA) Political Leader Gary Griffith to recommend that the civil society group be strengthened to hold politicians accountable.
“I would definitely adhere to it, making sure that strong disciplinary action could be taken on those persons and the parties if they breach the regulations as stated by the committee,” he said.
Griffith also defended the Opposition Leader's call for licenced firearm users to 'empty the clip' on intruders–a statement she made at a political meeting in Chaguanas on Monday in support of the party's proposed stand your ground law.
“If people want to interpret her comment being of people having the right to use excessive force, she never said that. If you have a sidearm (weapon) with several people coming up in your home, you have no choice but to empty your clip. Because you can't just shoot one person and have the others come,” he stated.
However, Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) leader Phillip Edward Alexander disagrees. Edwards told Guardian Media during a telephone interview that he had no idea how the council was appointed, who vets it nor who funds it.
“We can’t even enforce simple campaign finance legislation that exists. We have political parties that have come up with creative ways of evading that. We have a Financial Intelligence Unit that looks the other way as the elections are drowned in dirty money. So, adding another layer of empowered people who can do nothing or accomplish nothing for the people of Trinidad and Tobago helps us nothing,” he said.
Furthermore, Alexander disclosed that he would only support the group if it included a clause that all political parties get equal media time, among other changes.
“Anytime they ready to have a proper conversation with stakeholders, I am interested. But until then, this ad hoc, slapdash policy by book, I not interested,” he said.
The council, chaired by Dr Bishnu Ragoonath, issued a statement on Wednesday in an attempt to inform the public on how it operates. According to the release, non-partisan civil society organisations created a code of ethical political conduct which provides for a council to monitor and evaluate political conduct during elections.
These groups then appointed eight citizens to serve as their representatives, all of whom are volunteers. The release also clarified that the council is not, nor has ever been, state funded. Nonetheless, council assured that parties endorsed the code on the basis that it only performs monitoring activities during campaigns.