A move towards accountability

The government is getting ready to send letters to ministers, state ministers, advisers and elected representatives in local government bodies like the city corporations to submit statements on their resources or wealth within seven days. Similar letters would be sent to members of parliament (MPs) after getting clearance from the Speaker. The judges of the High Court and Supreme Court would also be persuaded through the Chief Justice to account for their wealth and possessions. All these, as stated by Finance Minister AMA Muhith last Wednesday, would be in keeping with an electoral pledge made by the Awami League (AL) in its manifesto in 2008. The AL had promised then that all top functionaries of the government would be obliged to submit periodic statements of the wealth owned by them. The purpose was obvious: The ones in the highest rung of the government would unveil for scrutiny what wealth they have in their individual capacities as a measure of their integrity. So far, so good. As the saying goes, it is better to be late than never. But one is automatically inclined to pose the question why it took the government so long to keep its commitments in this regard. The accountability exercise should have started right at the beginning, soon after its assumption of office. The disclosures of the wealth of ministers and others should have been made much earlier, a periodic mandatory requirement. Why the government has been sitting on this meritorious decision, for more than two years, is an unavoidable question. While the belated declaration about wealth statement is still welcome, what would interest the people -- keenly -- is whether the intention of taking account is properly executed and, more importantly, followed up with due rigours and investigation to find out that the statements made in the declaration of wealth actually match the reality. For without such follow-ups and investigative exercise done with absolute honesty and impartiality, the statements would be of little use except for being received and kept in files as part of a routine process and nothing else. The checking out of such statements against facts has become all the more significant in the backdrop of recent developments centered on the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). It appears that the government wants to bring about certain changes in the ACC through legislation to that effect. Many people among the civic society have criticized the move as one being aimed to curtail the independent powers of the ACC in moving against corruption or to even protect potential and existing doers of corruption. Thus, it is important that government should seek to improve its corruption-related image among people by carrying out this stock-taking of the wealth of ministers and others not in a namesake manner but in a truly efficient and dedicated way. Then, there is also the aspect of the civil servants to be brought under such an accountability initiative. It is common knowledge in this country that some civil servants, specially among the higher ranking ones, are allegedly involved in serious corruption. Even if to refute such charges effectively, it is necessary to put them through a similar accountability system. Therefore, they too may be asked to submit wealth statements which is otherwise required even under the existing service rules and norms of administration. But this is seen to be hardly enforced, because of the opposition by the vested quarters. When the civil servants submit their wealth statements as a matter of routine practice, then the same should be acted upon with investigative procedures to ascertain their truthfulness or otherwise. There can be no overlooking the fact that the people in general retain their deep interest in seeing corruption-related activities curbed and punished. The government's policies, to be successful, must respect the wishes of the people.