Integrity advocates support State funding for CAFFE, but with guardrails

SOME governance integrity advocates believe that the Jamaican Government could provide a financial lifeline for Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), but offered differing positions on how State subvention should be administered.

As the electoral watchdog group continues to seek private sector assistance amid financial challenges following the withdrawal of US funding, Dr Trevor Munroe, founding director of National Integrity Action and former vice-chair of CAFFE, argued that Government funding could be a crucial source of support to its survival.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer last Monday, Munroe noted that CAFFE plays an integral role in safeguarding the integrity of Jamaica’s polls, and warned that inadequate funding could undermine the country’s democratic process.