Political parties prefer problem management by beating about bushes.
Editorial: dirty party laundry. In plastic bags
Please note that the article is more than five years old and belongs to our archive. We do not update the content of the archives, so it may be necessary to consult newer sources.
In a few days, media statements by former Centre Party cadres Tarmo Lausing and Henri Kaselo have sown confusion instead of clarity. All in all, the nation has been told of 350 000 kroons allegedly handed to Mr Lausing by Kadri Simson, a top Centre Party figure. For donators. Regarding the event, differing years have been given. Cash, they say, came in black plastic bags.
The above will hardly compare with last year’s revelations by Silver Meikar, presenting dates, names and bank printouts. Also: while criticising party financing, Mr Meikar still belonged to Reform Party, and desired there to stay.
The vagueness and contradictoriness of Mr Lausing’s story has eagerly been exploited. Kadri Simson, current Centre Party deputy chairman, has pointed out the confusing of years and only referred to stationery purchased some time ago. Replying to question posed by Public Broadcasting, Centre Party chairman Edgar Savisaar let it be known that in his party, scrutinised by «the Kapo [Security police – edit] and the Kripo [Central Criminal Police – edit] of yours and what not» has never resorted to secret financing. According to Ain Seppik, a Centre Party veteran now in Reform Party, never has he seen any black plastic bags around; however, Mr Seppik smells an anti-Simson conspiracy. And so on and so forth.
And yet, the public will have noticed a lot. They will have noticed that, over the years, political parties have had major money injected into them – on paper, by members of the parties; still raising eyebrows by the largeness of sums and frequency of transfers.
They will have noticed that hidden financing is not explicitly condemned; rather, politicians keep lips sealed or seek ways of ridiculing revealers and calling them names. And, they will have noticed that Reform Party chairman, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip is testing a dangerous limit accusing law enforcement authorities – a limit not to be infringed by a representative of executive power, under rule of law.
Mr Meikar’s case was investigated. Word against word, it was concluded. Hidden crime lurking behind claims by Mr Lausing? In public’s eyes, the media layers have grown so thick as to be near transparent. The donating mother-in-law proved real. Maybe, near future will bring convincing proof that no plastic bags have ever been used by anyone in Centre Party.
«The attitude of us all, this is the initial and often the sole filter separating between a society cleaner or dirtier,» wrote justice minister Kristen Michal, two years ago, regarding corruption. Under investigation himself, Mr Michal let conflict of interests drag on for months.
Till dirty laundry keeps heaped up by parties and top politicians, someone will always surface to throw it out the back room, into public basin. Some with care, some offhandedly. Even so: stuff once considered shocking may cease to stir us – after a while. A filter vital for state and society is threatening to clog up, hopelessly.