Office holders should be held accountable for poor decisions

Nov 23, 2013 Letters

Dear Editor,
With regards to references to corruption in recent commentaries and reports in your paper, I have traveled globally quite often visiting many third world nations, some several times as part of my studies. Corruption is unavoidable, and yes, it exists in America and the Western democracies as well. Corruption exists almost everywhere, but is more endemic in the third world than in the first world (third world politicians tend to be greedier). The second world countries also have widespread corruption, but they are making progress.
Crony capitalism is very common, especially in countries in transition from socialism to market economy and those (especially in the third world) emerging from abject poverty towards modernization.
In my widespread study travels, I find the Scandinavian countries to be the most transparent and having the least corruption while the third world countries are the most corrupt. This is a far cry from when these third world societies were under colonial rule, when corruption was negligible; the White man kept a lid on corruption – of course they enriched themselves off the backs of the colonized.
In comparing and contrasting ill-governance and corruption between third world and first world nations, third world politicians steal like there is no tomorrow. Third world politicians are bold-faced when it comes to looting the treasury and virtually none of the third world countries run an honest government. Honesty and integrity are not buzzwords in the third world and the politicians and government officers somehow feel they should not be held accountable for their actions. Some of them are most incompetent and unfit for the positions they hold and often make decisions or take actions inimical to the interests of the nation. Because they enjoy immunity for their actions, they feel they can do anything. They literally get away with their incompetence and sometimes deliberate inaction or poor decisions. And whenever allegations are made against them, they invoke their immunity. This is most unfortunate.
This is not to say that there aren’t decent Gandhian-type incorruptible politicians (like the late Cheddi Jagan, Eusi Kwayana, Dr Fenton Ramsahoye, Balram Singh Rai, etc.) but they are just a few around. Dr. Fenton Ramsahoye told me in a recent interview that the British Governor to Guyana in the early 1960s told him (then the Attorney General) that he never came across Ministers who were so honest as in Guyana in all of the colonies (in Africa and Asia) he served as an officer of the British government. “British Guiana is the only place where Ministers don’t steal or take bribes”, the Governor told him.
I feel the time has come for all office holders (Ministers, in particular) and government officials in all countries, especially third world countries, to be held legally, and not just electorally, accountable for their intentional or negligent mismanagement in government.
If they abuse their power, they should and must be prosecuted. If they take actions that are self-serving (to benefit family, friends, partners, etc.) or that are inimical to the interests of the nation, they should be held personally liable. Also, stronger measures are needed to clampdown on corruption. And evidence must be tendered to bring charges against corrupt accused, not mere unsubstantiated allegations that unjustly tarnish people’s character or good name. One must not simply assume there is corruption when a contract has been awarded. If evidence exists, present it to the authorities for prosecution!
Vishnu Bisram

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