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Fighting corruption: It’s the key responsibility of religious leaders
View(s):With a series of Elections due this year, the country will inevitably, be focusing on the respective candidates and what they stand for, before deciding on whom to vote. In this context, a welcome development last week was the Declaration presented to the country’s leaders and the public, by representatives of the different religions, as to the criteria that should determine whom the respective political parties should nominate as their candidates.
While the media focused on the event held at the BMICH, at which the President, Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition were present, hardly anything has been published with regard to the contents of the Declaration itself. One is not certain whether the media does not consider the contents of the Declaration important enough or, simply that they have other priorities.
In fact, it would serve the National Interest greatly, if the media publicises the contents of the Declaration released last week, as well as the criteria suggested by the March 12 movement, to facilitate a public discourse on the topic. By doing so, the media will not only, be able to qualitatively influence the choice of candidates available to the public, but also help in the efforts to improve the country’s political culture.
The only criterion that could be picked up from media reports, of last week’s Declaration, was that, those accused of Election related offences should not be nominated. Presumably, there would be other important criteria that the religious leaders would have suggested.
Some other criteria that would obviously find a place in any discussion on the choice of candidates, would naturally, be their respective record with regard to corruption, abuse of State resources, use and endorsement of violence while in office, during their political career. These become especially relevant because, the voter, through his vote, is entrusting State power to one or more candidates, and any candidate, who has a negative record, with regard to these matters, can hardly be expected to exercise State power, in an acceptable manner.
In the national effort to eradicate these ills from the body polity, the role of religious leaders is critical. The public looks to their religious leaders for spiritual guidance in their day to day lives, and any endorsement of those with socially and politically unacceptable track records, can give the wrong signals to a voter.
Supporting or endorsing candidates with a bad or questionable track record of corruption related activities, will tantamount to religious leaders telling the public there is nothing wrong with corruption.
It may be recalled that, some years back, an Inspector General of Police was photographed at a party, with a group of people in which a drug dealer was also present. There was considerable concern that he had been at the party and hobnobbed with an anti social personality like a drug dealer. Although there was not even the slightest suggestion that the IGP concerned had any dealings with the drug dealer, the public concerns expressed was that, it was inappropriate for someone holding public responsibility, to be in the company of such undesirable individuals.
In the recent past, there have been instances of various individuals, who have been charged in the courts with corruption related offences, being ‘blessed’ in public by religious personalities. These scenes have been shown on TV, thereby giving the wrong messages to the public and more particularly, the youth. While these individuals may need a great deal of spiritual support, doing so in public, by religious leaders, is almost an endorsement of such wrongdoings.
There was a news report, accompanied by a photograph, in yesterday’s Island newspaper, where Professor Venerable Medagoda Abeytissa Thera is seated in the front row, next to Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Russia, Udaya Weeratunge, at an event organised in Dubai, by the ‘Eliya’ organization. Weeratunge is wanted in Sri Lanka, in connection with the ongoing investigations into the controversial MIG deal.
Weeratunge is avoiding appearing before the investigating authorities and does not seem to have the confidence to face trial in Sri Lanka, notwithstanding that the Judiciary is functioning independently. The same applies to Arjuna Mahendran, who is refusing to appear before the Sri Lanka Courts, to face ongoing investigations related to the Central Bank Bond scam.
Every accused is presumed innocent in the eyes of the Law, until proved guilty, but public figures must have the confidence to go before the Courts and stand trial and clear themselves. In the case of those who wish to offer themselves as candidates, it is all the more important to do so.
Otherwise, the lay public will inevitably, come to the conclusion that their refusal to appear in the courts and clear themselves is because they do not have the confidence that they will be able to do so.
A good example to follow in this regard is that of former Chief of Staff of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Faced with serious criminal charges, he did not fight shy of going before the Courts and face trial in respect of all charges. He was finally acquitted last week.
Religious leaders should therefore, exhort those over whom they have influence, to clear their names through the Legal process, by facing trial in Court, before attempting to stand for Elections. This will be a great service they do to the country because, it will not only help fight corruption, but also help to transform the political culture into a positive one.
(javidyusuf@gmail.com)