-
by pltm
(PLTM) - The British Virgin Islands (BVI) is not compliant with the United Nations’ (UN) Convention Against Corruption, despite the agreement being extended to the Territory in 2006 as a result of the BVI being a British Overseas Territory.
The lack of compliance is due largely to the absence of legislation governing campaign financing during election season. This is according to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association British Islands and Mediterranean Region (CPA BIMR) Election Observation Mission (EOM), which recently completed their observation of the General Elections.
In their preliminary report, the Mission stated, “Without adequate legislation governing campaign finance, the Virgin Islands is not compliant with the UN Convention Against Corruption which was extended to the Virgin Islands in 2006. This issue is further compounded by the lack of any legal requirement to register or be incorporated as a political party in the Virgin Islands or to provide any public or financial reporting.”
This was an issue previously highlighted in the 2015 elections report.
The report went on to say, “This is an important issue to ensure a fair approach to election campaigning and to limit the risks of corruption. Whereas candidates and parties did not express concern over insufficient resources to convey their messages to the public, voters were not able to identify where funding originated from or how campaign finances were spent.”
The lack of transparency and regulations, the report added, did nothing to allay the concerns raised.
“With continuing rumours of vote buying and corruption by many interlocutors, a lack of financial accountability and legislative provision undermines and erodes voter trust in the system,” the Observers reported.
Meanwhile, the Observers went on to say that the BVI’s classification of citizens into categories of ‘belongers’ and ‘non-belongers’ also conflicts with an international agreement on political rights.
“Belonger status is not automatically acquired by birth or through citizenship, but by descent or by having held residence status for a minimum of 21 years and, reportedly, undertaken an additional application process likely to last several more years,” the report pointed out.
It further stated, “This contravenes the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which seeks to ensure all individuals within its Territory have the right to vote and stand as a candidate without distinction of any kind such as national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”
In closing on that matter, the report reads, “Thus, there are citizens with resident status who are not granted suffrage rights and non-citizens residing abroad with the right to vote and stand. This again undermines the principles of equity, fairness and representation.”
