UDP campaign donation scandal calls for campaign finance laws – Love FM Belize News & Music Power

Another bombshell Gegg dropped was his claim that a certain UDP minister had asked for a seven-figure campaign donation. Gegg claimed the request was in the form of a quid pro quo for Portico to gain full environmental approval. Gegg says he believes the donation would have earned him the full support of the National Environmental Assessment Committee. The claim puts into context the need for campaign finance laws, which are part of the anti-corruption measures that unions have been calling for. Today the Prime Minister was asked whether Gregg’s claim underlines the need for such laws and whether his government agrees.

Hon. John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “Well, that is something that we have to take into account, we have to look at it carefully and we have been trying to find ways how we can come up with some form of campaign finance legislation because there is no legislation, but it is important that we able to post something that can work. The United States, for example, as an example for the presidential election, they have campaign finance laws and that gives them over a billion dollars per candidate. Does campaign finance law absolutely not work? So we have to find one that can work. I wish we could find one that would limit the number of ads you give, shirts and everything else because that would make it easier for the political parties. So it’s something that I support and that we’re looking at and hopefully we can come up with something that can work for Belize. But it’s not about the political will, it’s about having something that can work, as I said all along, it’s something that I support. Don’t you think I would want to run a campaign where we might spend a fraction of what is needed? Of course we would and we would make it so much easier for all political parties.”

The government, through the Good Governance Unit, started investigating campaign financing in January this year.