Of tackling corruption and credible manifestos

Robert Wynter, Contributor

"Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by private persons or corporations not directly involved with the government. An illegal act by an officeholder constitutes political corruption only if the act is directly related to their official duties, is done under colour of law or involves trading in influence."  -  Wikipedia

Last week, Prime Minister Holness, on relieving Mike Henry from his Cabinet post, said he would not tolerate corruption in his administration. This was juxtaposed with Transparency International's release of its latest country Corruption Perception Index ranking, where Jamaica rated 3.3 (out of 10) and placed 86th out of 183 countries. Barbados is ranked at 16; Bahamas at 21; St Lucia at 25; and Trinidad & Tobago at 91.

The top five, worldwide, (with indices in parentheses) are in order New Zealand (9.5), Denmark (9.4), Finland (9.4), Sweden (9.3) and Singapore (9.2). Save and except for New Zealand that lies 28th on the World Bank GDP per capita ranking, the remaining top nine countries on the Corruption Perception Index are all in the top 20 in GDP per capita.

It is a no-brainer, therefore, to deduct the very positive correlation between Corruption Perception Index on one hand and national prosperity and quality of life on the other. Our Vision 2030 ("Jamaica is the place of choice to live, to work, to raise a family and to do business") is an articulation of the quality of life we want for all our citizens by 2030, 19 years away.

According to Transparency International, "The 2011 index draws on assessments and opinion surveys carried out by independent and reputable institutions. These surveys and assessments include questions related to the bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds, and the effectiveness of public-sector anti-corruption efforts. Perceptions are used because corruption is, to a great extent, a hidden activity that is difficult to measure. Over time, perceptions have proved to be a reliable estimate of corruption."

We cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, question a score of 3.3 for Jamaica. In fact, it is reported that we have never scored beyond 4.0, making our situation chronic, with examples such as the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme, Trafigura, Mabey & Johnson, Operation PRIDE, Coke extradition, NetServ, to name a few. As Buju Banton said, "I could go on and on, the full has never been told."

The correlation mentioned above is a clear cause-and-effect relationship. What this means is that if we work on improving our Corruption Perception Index rating, the growth and quality of life will follow. Industry Minister Christopher Tufton reported that he is setting up a special unit in his ministry to track and, presumably, enable the improvement in the Ease of Doing Business index.

I would suggest to both Prime Minister Holness and to Mrs Simpson Miller, that the entire Cabinet track and enable the improvement in the components of the Corruption Perception Index.

Transparency International continues: "This year, we have seen corruption on protesters' banners, be they rich or poor. Whether in a Europe hit by debt crisis or an Arab world starting a new political era, leaders must heed the demands for better government. Public-sector governance that puts the interests of its citizens first is a responsibility that transcends borders. Governments must act accordingly. For their part, citizens need to continue demanding better performance from their leaders."

Constituency Development vs National Governance

Ernie Smith told us: "As we fight one another, for the power and the glory, Jah Kingdom gone to waste." My educated guess is that the three worst (gone to waste) constituencies in terms of economic and social well-being are, in order, South West St Andrew, West Kingston and South St Andrew, represented by Portia Simpson Miller, Bruce Golding and Omar Davies, respectively. The MPs who gained the largest margins of victory in the 2007 general election were, in order, (you guessed it!) Simpson Miller, Golding and Davies.

This seemingly inverse relationship between constituency development and margin of victory is by no means coincidental; it is a direct result of our politics since Independence, and aligns with the correlation between the Corruption Perception Index and quality of life.

The practice, therefore, of aspirants to Gordon House articulating and promising constituency development plans over which they have absolutely no authority, and which responsibility is not ascribed to them by the Constitution, is a grand exercise in futility. Instead, Section 49, Subsection (1) states: "... Parliament may make laws for the peace, order and good government of Jamaica." I am unable to find a definition of "good government", but, presumably, the Parliament makes laws to enable the performance of the Government.

The MP aspirant must, therefore, be able to articulate why he/she will do a better job in passing laws for the peace, order and good government of the entire country so that the respective constituency will benefit. Section 70, Subsection (2) states: "The Cabinet shall be the principal instrument of policy and shall be charged with the general direction and control of Jamaica and shall be collectively responsible therefore to Parliament ... ." Additionally, the MP aspirant must state why his/her party, if elected, will do a better job of guiding the country in the right direction.

Basic Requirements of a Political Manifesto

Those of us who see beyond our immediate constituency challenges to the wider national governance must view voting for an MP as a means to an end and not an end in itself. That end is an administration, according to Errol Niles, writing in the Barbados Business Authority of November 21, 2011, whose purpose is to lubricate the market with opportunity, so businesses can (provide the jobs) and make the profits that pay the taxes that fund social programmes.

A substantially improved Corruption Perception Index is a sure means to deliver on that purpose. If civil society intends to make any meaningful contribution to national governance, we cannot simply ask the aspirants prior to the election what they promise to achieve and then hope for the best.

We need to demand better performance from our leaders and, in so doing, hold them accountable before and after the election. Speaking on Nationwide Radio recently, Naomi Francis stated, "This election campaign cannot be scandal-driven; rather, it must be about articulating the challenges facing us as well as the plans and the solutions that will address these challenges as we move forward." These plans and solutions should really be stated very clearly and succinctly in the respective manifestos. What, therefore, should we expect from a manifesto? I suggest the following:

1. Confirmation of Vision 2030! Both major political parties have already endorsed this Vision and, therefore, need to explain any departure from it.

2. Restate the Vision for 2016 - where exactly each party intends to take Jamaica in the next five years on its way to Vision 2030.

3. Quantify Vision 2016 in relation to the four major goals of Vision 2030:

a. Jamaicans are empowered to achieve their fullest potential;

b. The Jamaican society is secure, cohesive and just;

c. Jamaica's economy is prosperous; and

d. Jamaica has a healthy natural environment.

4. Identify the current situation in the context of Vision 2016 and clearly state the gap to be closed.

5. Articulate external (to Jamaica) and internal challenges which will hinder the administration from achieving its 2016 Vision.

6. Identify the strategies the administration will employ to address the challenges identified and will take the country to its 2016 Vision.

7. Objective and honest assessment of the administration's own performance (in the context of Vision 2016) when last in power.

8. Explain what will be so different about the administration that will prevent a recurrence of the past poor performances and scandals.

9. State exactly how the administration intends to be transparent and accountable.

I expect that the manifestos will be able to withstand the scrutiny that civil society deserves and I, personally, intend to undertake the required detailed analyses when they are published.

Robert Wynter is the managing director of Strategic Alignment Limited, which facilitates organisational realignment and leadership development. Comments are welcome at columns@gleanerjm.com and rob.wyn@hotmail.com.