Bribery and corruption have blighted Guyana

Dear Editor, Ever since 1999 this country has been plagued with bribery and corruption. It was not surprising, therefore, that provisions have been made in the Constitution for an Integrity Commission in clear recognition and acknowledgement of the fact that Guyanese are no longer living in the age when men were born gentlemen, but rather in the age when efforts are being made to make gentlemen by laws and regulations. Yet the regime has not been forthright with the nation in allowing the Integrity Commission to function independently of PPP control. The dictum that a man’s word is his bond has clearly lost all its intrinsic value and significance under this regime, hence the promulgation of the Integrity Commission. This law was passed, no doubt with the expectation of halting the escalation of corruption and dishonesty on the part of those in public life and those exercising public functions, but it has, it would seem, proven to be neither a palliative nor a panacea to reducing or eradicating corruption, except perhaps, to adorn our statute books with yet another law. It is significant to note, however, that while the law is one which primarily constitutes an invasion of one’s right to privacy, the enactment of the law has been justified on the ground of public interest, as opposed to the right of the individual. This is the message we want the PPP cabal to hear. The word integrity clearly connotes persons of unblemished character and strong moral principles and persons who are held in high esteem as exemplars and worthy of becoming persons in public life, such as Members of Parliament and those holding public office. However, empirical evidence has established that persons of such calibre are clearly scarce commodities in our society, especially in the PPP, and this conclusion may receive some support in a statement made some time ago by President Hoyte when he said that “selection of members of the Commission is not a matter to be rushed as these persons must be of the highest calibre and integrity.” Integrity is therefore not a commodity that can be taken off a shelf as this regime has done. The value and concept of the importance of integrity has to be nurtured and developed during a person’s formative years, failing which, the word becomes meaningless to those who are strangers to it. As human beings we are basically and fundamentally the product of our environment, so that a person born, nurtured and developed in an environment destitute of those intrinsic values would clearly be devoid of them. While we address our ministers in the PPP as “Honourable” (righteous and incorruptible), the personal honour to which the word owes its genesis or origin would seem to have lost much, if not all of its value and significance, since it has become imperative to enact laws and regulations, the purport and intent of which are to subject such persons to the submission of their incomes, assets and liabilities to the Integrity Commission on an annual basis for scrutiny, and for the purposes of declaring them to be persons of integrity. This constitutional mechanism has been predicated on the fact that Ministers and parliamentarians in the PPP regime have so misused and abused their powers and authority for personal gain and aggrandizement, that they should be found guilty of criminal offences. As a consequence, the question that has arisen from time to time is whether these PPP ministers and Parliamentarians should continue to be addressed as “honourable” or whether they should be addressed simply as Mr. or Ms. or just by their first names. Most Guyanese seem to have lost confidence and respect for the PPP cabal. One of the mind-boggling questions is therefore, whether legislation per se will stem the tide of the growing escalation of bribery and corruption on the part of those in public life or whether there should be put in place a comprehensive and intensive educational programme, designed to create an environment in which our children, who would be the adults of tomorrow, could be nurtured, developed and sensitized of the intrinsic value and significance of the principles of honesty and integrity. Since bribery and corruption would appear to be irrefutably endemic and pervasive in the regime and in the society, non-governmental organizations such as the Transparency Institute of Guyana, the Private Sector Commission, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the trade unions, among others, ought to collectively consider speaking out against and condemning the PPP regime for its failure to stop the growing escalation of corruption and bribery at all levels of government. And there is no better place to begin than with the contracts in which major kickbacks are offered in return for them. Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh