DRUG MONEY AND POLITICS

HOW MANY of our 60 elected Members of Parliament owe their seats, at
least in part, to the financial support of drug dealers? And what will
these members of the House be obliged to give back in return as
political favours?

At last, the menacing matter of the link between drugs and politics
has been placed squarely on the agenda of the Parliament itself. The
matter was first raised by Government MP Donald Buchanan, Member for
South-West St Elizabeth, during his contribution to the debate on the
Report of the EAC to Parliament last week. According to the honourable
Member, there are drug traders in Jamaica who are attempting to use
their power to control political candidates. What Mr. Buchanan alleges
is to be expected. The real question is how successful the expected
infiltration of politics by drug money has been and how far it will
progress.

In the charges and counter-charges which Mr. Buchanan's contribution
unleashed between the two parties in the House, he claimed that there
was an influx of $5 million into the South West St. Elizabeth
constituency three days before the elections, from unnamed sources, to
support the campaign of his political opponents.

In his contribution to the debate, National Security Minister, Dr.
Peter Phillips said that there is a clear and present danger to our
political process of being corrupted by drug dealers and other persons
involved in illegal activities who are attempting to put a death grip
on the country's politics. The Minister's own allegation suggests that
the death grip is not some future prospect but is a current reality;
the question being just how tight it is.

Member for North-East Manchester, Audley Shaw, noted that the
international community, including creditors, has expressed serious
concerns about the link between drug money and local politics. He
further charged that the process of awarding Government contracts is
already being contaminated by drug money.

Jamaica has become a major trans-shipment point in the cocaine trade;
and we already have our own well developed ganja trade. There are many
street-level allegations of the active involvement of elements of
Government and of the security forces in the drug trade, quite apart
from political campaigns accepting drug money.

Jamaica is not unique in the infiltration of drug money into politics
to buy protection and influence for dealers. But unsavoury elements of
our politics, particularly the links to gangs and dons and the
garrisonisation of communities, substantially increase our
vulnerability.

The risks are not only in the selling of favours to drug dealers but
are in resistance as well. For once the thin edge of the wedge gets in
those who refuse to co-operate will find themselves targets for
elimination. There is indeed a clear and present danger to the
political system from the infiltration of drug money and influence, a
danger which transcends cass-cass and finger-pointing across party
lines.