By- Hassan I. Conteh
Political parties in the United States of America (USA) spent a record sum of USD $ 14.4 billion during the 2020 US presidential elections.
That amount is said to be a record breaking history ever in the US election campaigns. US dominant political parties, Democrat and the Republican, contested by Donald Trump and Joe Biden, boosted the party’s wingspan as states election campaigns on both sides attracted billions of dollars.
As political parties get support from big corporate entities, other politicians are calling for a ban on PAC’s (Political Action Committees) funding supports. However, the beauty about US elections lies in Federal state regulator, Federal Elections Commission, which usually makes huge revenues for USA.
The process to get supports from big PAC (Political Action Committees) is well-regulated in any of the states in USA. PACs normally pool campaign contributions from members and donate those funds to campaigns for or against candidate’s ballot initiatives or legislation.
They have since been formed in US to represent business, labour, or ideological interests by individuals who wish to privately raise money to donate to a political cause. But a US Campaign Finance Reform bill is calling for its end, PACs support to political parties.
US current president Joe Biden, who before 2020 elections frowned at the practice, was reported having received help from some Super PACs and dark money groups, something Americans now questioned as illegal ventures.
However, the fact that there is full transparency and accountability in the election operation systems makes it easier for United States to hold her general elections without financial hiccups.
It’s sad for Africa though that since independence from white colonial masters, most countries are unable to conduct their elections without outside donor support by the former colonial nations and others.
Sierra Leone is not an exception. This year’s June 24th multitier elections in Sierra Leone receive funds by European Union (EU). The country has only funded her general elections once in 2012 under the leadership of former president Ernest Bai Koroma. Sierra Leone is losing out lots of money in politics.
The country’s Political Parties Regulations Commission (PPRC) still receives funds by sitting governments and external partners. Unlike the United States of which the Federal Election Commission makes huge income from payments made by political parties during campaign periods.
Sierra Leone’s regulator of politics makes income from politicians who aspire for various positions during elections.
As it always faces financial crunches, PPRC sometimes inflates nomination fees for presidential and other positions. Although the total fees paid by politicians do not equal to PPRC’s annual state budget, political parties and civil society organizations say high nomination charges are stifling political representation.
To heed such echoing calls, Sierra Leone’s presidential fee has been sharply cut down from Le 50 million to Le 36 million Leones.
As the institution suffers for being innovative, PPRC is failing to charge politicians for advertisement.
Political advertising is not regulated as politicians dole out huge money on private persons.
“While the hardship is killing us, they are wasting the money on printing banners” remarked a passenger woman in a poda poda.
The informal media sector gets the lion share of politicians’ adverts. The multimedia industry is saturated with political adverts while the mainstream media struggle to get a tight grip on advertising contracts.
The regulation of political adverts on radios, televisions, magazines, and newspapers is mostly under the purview of most countries’ political regulatory commission.
In the United States this function is not under the ambit of the media regulatory body. Like in US, Sierra Leone’s Independent Media Commission (IMC) particularly monitors commercials but not political adverts.
So such obligation must be performed by the country’s Political Parties Regulations Commission (PPRC).
But it is sad to note that the institution sorrowfully fails to strategize ideas to fund its activities and raise more revenues for the state.
If PPRC is able to raise funds on its own, it could be more independent, impartial on its operations than it is thought to be otherwise.
Democratic institutions must be seen working independently and professionally to serve public interest than government interest.
But the pervasive dependence of most state institutions on government for funds is quickly lowering down the morale duty of these instructions as citizens’ trust on them crushes up.
Over the years, most government institutions are seen to be compromising their standards as authorities fear sackings or demotions on their jobs.
As Sierra Leone holds general elections after every five years, the country is still unable to fully fund her elections or save more revenues as it loses billions of Leones every election cycles.