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A ‘Raththaran’ example to emulate
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The issue of corruption in public life has occupied centre stage in the national discourse for a considerable period of time. It is increasingly being recognised as one of the biggest impediments to the progress of the country. Last week, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) launched a National Action Plan to address the scourge of Bribery and Corruption in the country.
The timeline for achieving the objectives of the Action Plan, which was launched under the auspices of President Maithripala Sirisena, is five years. While reversing the challenge of corruption must necessarily take a considerable period of time, given the extent to which it has permeated every nook and corner of the polity, it is necessary, in parallel, to take steps to hold to account those who are guilty of such acts, as well as to take steps to prevent those with records of bribery or corruption from entering the portals of Government.
It is no secret that the incidence of bribery and corruption impacts the poorest of the poor the most. The marginalised sections of society who face the brunt of increased living costs are forced to pay for the costs of corruption, although such increased costs are not easily discernible.
For instance, there are very strong and repeated allegations that consumers are called upon to pay excessively high costs for electricity primarily due to the high incidence of corruption in the Power sector. The integrity of those charged with governance is a critical factor in ensuring that the correct decisions are made when formulating and implementing plans to develop the country.
To ensure this objective, it is necessary to ensure that the problem of corruption is addressed in two ways. The first is to make sure that those who have engaged in corruption are speedily tried and dealt with by the judicial process. Current experience shows that the system of justice is very slow in responding to this challenge.
The second, is to ensure that those charged with corruption are required to step down from their positions until their names are cleared and also to prevent those who have such allegations against them from obtaining nominations or holding public office.
The latter process can be implemented much faster than ensuring accountability through the judicial process, which is riddled with procedural and other delays. All it requires is for political parties to announce that nominations will be given only to those who come with clean hands; and if there are allegations of corruption against potential candidates, they should clear their names before they seek nomination.
The leadership of political parties can additionally urge their members who hold political office to step down and clear their names if they wish to be restored to such positions.
These steps will greatly help to restore the public’s confidence in the political system which has been diminished by the actions of the bad eggs, who seem to carry on regardless despite the institution of legal proceedings against them. To add insult to injury, the public is treated to the almost daily spectacle of those having the most serious charges of corruption against them shouting the loudest in accusing others of corruption.
In this climate of corruption, it is appropriate to reflect on the actions of a Provincial Council politician who has been arrested and produced in Court on charges of child abuse. The politician, Krishantha Pushpakumara, also known as ‘Raththaran’, was arrested by the Akmeemana Police a few weeks back and released on bail by the Galle Magistrate.
Krishantha Pushpakumara subsequently resigned from his membership of the Provincial Council. Explaining the reasons for resigning from the Southern Provincial Council, the politico said that he was doing so in order to facilitate the ongoing probe against him.
He claimed that he was not guilty of the allegations although there was a case against him in Court. The former Provincial Councillor stated that his continuing in politics would be a blemish for the political party he represents and the people who voted for him. He vowed to return to politics once he was cleared of the charges.
Despite the serious nature of the charges against him, the actions of this politician to step down has to be lauded, and others in similar positions should be urged to follow his example. He did not want to cause harm to the party he represents as a result of the allegations made against him, nor did he want to let down his voters by continuing to hold office while under a cloud.
Clearly, he had sufficient confidence in proving his own innocence, which enabled him to give up his role as a Provincial Councillor in the belief that he would be able to re-enter politics after clearing his name.
Contrast this with the actions of those who try every trick in the book to avoid facing trial and attempt to delay proceedings by resorting to various tactics. In the case of Krishantha Pushpakumara, he has only been produced in Court, and charges have not yet been filed against him as the investigations are not complete.
In the case of many of those attempting to delay the trials against them, the Attorney General has examined the evidence and come to the conclusion that there is sufficient evidence if proved in Court to warrant the return of a verdict of guilty. The Attorney General does not easily file indictment and does so only after a rigorous examination of the evidence against the suspect.
It is therefore incumbent upon all political parties to ensure that those facing indictments against them or charges in the lower Courts step down until their names are cleared.
This is the least they could do for the political party that granted them nominations as well as the voters who voted for them. In addition, and even more importantly, such a course of action by political parties would help foster a culture of zero corruption in the country.
(javidyusuf@gmail.com)