Kleptocracy gobbles up democracy: worst-case scenario
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2010 of Transparency International (TI) places Bangladesh in 12th position in ranking from the bottom with a score of 2.4 points out of 10 among 178 countries surveyed. In 2009, it scored the same points ranking 13th from below among 180 countries. Bangladesh ranked at 1 to 3 between 2001 and 2006, and improved to 7 in 2007 and 10 in 2008. Once known worldwide as the poorest and most disaster-prone country, Bangladesh has since been branded as one of the most corrupt countries. The utter shame befalls on the generally honest, innocent, hard-working and resilient people of Bangladesh. But then, what are the factors responsible for this miserable plight and what is the future outlook!
A popular story goes like this. The minister from country "B", on a visit to country "P", asked his counterpart, during private conversation, "My friend, I understand you are a very rich man. Tell me how you managed to become so rich?" The host smiled, led him to the window and asked, "What do you see?" The guest replied, "I can see a river." "And what else?" "There is a bridge over it." Now the host minister pointed to his pocket and said "ten per cent." Couple of years later, the minister of "P" paid a return visit to "B", and after all diplomatic niceties, asked his host, "Well, I heard you have become richer than me by this time, tell me your secrets." Now the host took him to the balcony and asked, "What do you see here?" "A big river." "And what more?" "Nothing but the river and some boats." The host gleefully disclosed, "Hundred per cent." The anecdote came into circulation when "B" emerged as the most corrupt country in the World in CPI ten years before. Later, with a number of Ministers from "B" along with a wide assortment of plunderers having been behind the bars, letting their captive deer and snakes lose and abandoning their BMWs and Volvos roadside, the "B"-variety of "kleptocracy" was about to crumble! Among all countries, "A" to "Z", "B" has attained high degree of proficiency in setting up Kleptocracy. It proved by practice, "chandabaji", a commonly used Bangla word for "extortion", can be the most innovative way of establishing and sustaining kleptocracy, as allegedly guided from or indulgence of this or that Bhavan, in the garb of democracy, thus enabling the nation earn the notorious championship in corruption, in addition to age-old championship in poverty, culture of impunity and violently confrontational politics.
It is a common perception that no country -- from "A" to "Z" -- is free from corruption. In Country "A", for instance, private corporations pay huge contributions for presidential election campaign and get handsome deals. Yet, that country is a great exponent of democracy, accountability and transparency, In poor "B", suspecting corruption, a Minister was publicly reprimanded by a visiting VIP from "D" for suspected corruption, while the Minister said he just wanted to prevent a contract for repair of boats at several times higher price than normal cost going to the donor "D", which remains the least corrupt country in the latest TI perception. We never know who was right.
There are hundreds of illegal and immoral means to acquire money, power, position and wealth. Bribery is the most common form of corruption in a Kleptocratic hierarchy. Bribe-takers and bribe-givers are equally guilty; even if some may be among top ten most incorruptible countries like "S". Remember Bofors! It is believed that the Prime Minister of "S", the famous practitioner of social-democracy, was assassinated in front of a cinema hall by an "insane person", because he came to know much about the affairs. The scandal ended in posthumous exoneration of an accused leader "Mr. Clean" in country "I".
But then, why do people become corrupt? Simple answer is: need and greed-both ingrained in human nature. For the poor, it is need, which is the cause of corruption; for the rich, it is greed. Illegal gratification is made, in cash or kind, to influence politicians, civil servants and others to get things done through improper action. In a corrupt state, officials are to be paid: "speed money" for functions they are supposed to perform anyway. They are bribed to neglect their chartered duties, such as enforcement of laws, to the advantage of the corrupt. Example: developers constructing apartment buildings disregarding municipal or environmental regulations get away by bribing inspectors. Corruption includes other forms of illegal practices like embezzlement of trusted funds, nepotism or favouritism in providing employment or awarding contract, extortion and fraud. Corruption can be on mini or grand scales, organised or sporadic or random. It is often visibly or invisibly institutionalised. The end-point of corruption is "kleptocracy", literally meaning "rule of thieves" (nearest Bangla word-Taskartantra) where even pretence of honesty is absent and the government of the day exists only to recklessly facilitate enrichment of the ruling elite and their cronies, with consequent impoverishment of the common people, while the government of the future restlessly waits or agitates for its turn. In a kleptocracy, the corrupt enjoys a high degree of impunity. Kleptocracy and culture of impunity go together, and help each other plunder national wealth.
Kleptocracy gradually gobbles up democracy and establishes a "government of the thieves, by the thieves and for the thieves". Kleptocrats try to perpetuate their rule, lest their misdeeds are exposed at the end of their tenure and they face trial for their offences. Kleptocracy has virtually become a form of government, though unrecognised and in Social Sciences, particularly unwelcome in art and science of Governance. Most kleptocracies used to be dictatorships or autocratic regimes, because democracy makes theft more difficult to accomplish, conceal and consume (not so in a democratic autocracy!). Kleptocrats often use violence, money laundering, autonomous international banking and other crimes for protecting and enjoying their ill-gotten resources. An apparent democratic state degenerates into kleptocracy, in a culture of unbridled corruption with a great amount of indulgence and impunity, a typical syndrome of dysfunctional, faltering, failing state.
Corruption is simply perceived as acceptance of unathorised benefits by public officials for self or other persons or groups of persons. In a corrupt system, files hardly move without speed money, which becomes regular take-home package of the rent seekers. Very few of them now care to keep it secret. Corruption poses a serious threat to political, social and economic development. In political arena, it undermines democratic institutions and good governance by subverting formal processes. Corruption in elections and functioning of legislative bodies reduces accountability and representational character in policy-making; corruption in judiciary suspends the rule of law; and corruption in public administration results in unequal delivery of services. It erodes institutional capacity of the government, as rules and procedures are disregarded in exercise of discretionary powers by administrators; resources are siphoned off, and officials are recruited or promoted without regard to merit or performance. It also undercuts legitimacy of the government and democratic values such as trust, tolerance and fundamental rights. Corruption in development projects makes them costlier and prolongs implementation time, resulting in compromise in quality and preventing desired impacts from reaching the targeted beneficiaries. Huge amount of international development assistance is misappropriated, sometimes in connivance with the "Donors".
However, corruption is not limited to the poorly paid public functionaries. It has crept into business ethics and corporate behaviour encompassing many professions. Along with corrupt Government officials, hoarders of essential consumer goods, builders constructing with sub-standard materials, doctors who get commissions from diagnostic tests and allowances from pharmaceutical companies for prescribing certain drugs, teachers who leak out question papers, or confer first class en masse in exchange of money are all thieves of Baghdad. Corporate, professional and intellectual corruption has added new dimensions and sophistication to the state of the art. In the private sector, corruption increases the costs of production; transactions and marketing that ultimately affect consumers. Commercial interests in baby food or other essential items are not exempted. Price of illicit payment to public servants and cost of lobbying with them along with risk of breaching unofficial agreements or betrayal and detection enhance delivery costs. Although private sector may argue that under-the-table transactions reduce costs by avoiding red-tapism, they will admit that prospect of further bribes induces officials to invent new rules or interpret existing ones to the disadvantage of the client who will then be on the knees to cut undue delays. Thus, corruption tends to create economic distortions, impeding collection of revenue and increasing budget constraints of the government. Bangladesh and other countries in the bottom of Corruption Index could have achieved higher level of economic growth, had corruption been under reasonable control.
Stealing is obviously more lucrative than toiling. Now almost nothing gets done unless a palm is greased. Gratifying the right person enables getting a pass, with a first class in some cases, in exam without much learning, a job without necessary qualification, driving licence without knowing art of driving, contract without fulfilling conditions and favourable verdict in court of law. In the process, it is the poor who are deprived most, as they cannot afford to bribe. As The Economist precisely puts it, "Corruption is but one form of oppression". Can this oppression be alleviated? Is corruption inescapable? To answer these questions, one must seek to identify the root causes of corruption. Why do people choose to be corrupt rather than honest? For some people, being corrupt or making others corrupt may be the easiest, indeed the only way to get what they need or want. Many people know that the persons holding authority not only ignore and tolerate the vice, but also practice it themselves to thrive. It becomes an example to follow. As corruption enters the whole fabric of the society, it becomes a more acceptable way of life. On the need aspect, it is apparent that people with pitifully low income have no option than accepting or demanding illegal gratification. People observe, those who extort bribes or buy undue advantages with bribes or resort to other forms of corruption go largely unpunished. Few have the strength to swim against the tide, in a sea of impunity.
"Because sentence against a misdeed has not been executed in time, the heart of the sons of men has become fully set in to do the same bad things", observed King Solomon. The other aspect of corruption is more dangerous. Greed combined with selfishness is a powerful motivation to make corruption a more aggressive force. Corrupt persons turn blind to the sufferings that their corruptibility inflicts on the average citizens, and they continue to plunder simply because it adds to their prosperity. Greed is endless and insatiable. The more they gain materially and in terms of power and position, the greedier become the sinister practitioners of corruption.
Persons with strong religious conviction attribute another factor - the role of the Satan, the lord of the invisible world order, who pro-actively promotes corruption with other vices. "I will give you all the kingdoms of the world if you fall down and worship me", he tried unsuccessfully to entice Jesus Christ. We, the ordinary mortals have little inner strength to decline the satanic overtures. "The desire of increasing riches occupieth you, till ye come to the grave. Nay! But in the end ye shall know your folly... surely ye shall see hell-fire ...Then shall ye on that day be taken to task for your pleasures," ordains Allah in Sura 102 of the Qur'an. Let it be known to perpetrators of all sorts of corruption for certain that they can obtain all forms of material assets, but cannot steal the key of the gate to heaven. We all know, chora na shoney dharmer kahini (the thief does not listen to sermons of piety). However, more than us, the ordinary humans, the people in power and position, who may themselves suffer from or tolerate and promote kleptomania, should realise the ultimate truth, rise above temptation, and stick to norms and values. They must distinguish good from evil, with a clear vision for welfare of the people they expansively represent and rule. Such a realisation can only help the people put an end to reign of repression, strengthen democracy and get rid of kleptocracy that has been the order of the day for decades of independent existence of this literally poor nation. Let the leaders, the servants of the people and the whistleblowers rise to the occasion.
The author is Executive Director, Centre for Governance Studies, and is available at
e-mail: cgs.bd.ed@gmail.com
A popular story goes like this. The minister from country "B", on a visit to country "P", asked his counterpart, during private conversation, "My friend, I understand you are a very rich man. Tell me how you managed to become so rich?" The host smiled, led him to the window and asked, "What do you see?" The guest replied, "I can see a river." "And what else?" "There is a bridge over it." Now the host minister pointed to his pocket and said "ten per cent." Couple of years later, the minister of "P" paid a return visit to "B", and after all diplomatic niceties, asked his host, "Well, I heard you have become richer than me by this time, tell me your secrets." Now the host took him to the balcony and asked, "What do you see here?" "A big river." "And what more?" "Nothing but the river and some boats." The host gleefully disclosed, "Hundred per cent." The anecdote came into circulation when "B" emerged as the most corrupt country in the World in CPI ten years before. Later, with a number of Ministers from "B" along with a wide assortment of plunderers having been behind the bars, letting their captive deer and snakes lose and abandoning their BMWs and Volvos roadside, the "B"-variety of "kleptocracy" was about to crumble! Among all countries, "A" to "Z", "B" has attained high degree of proficiency in setting up Kleptocracy. It proved by practice, "chandabaji", a commonly used Bangla word for "extortion", can be the most innovative way of establishing and sustaining kleptocracy, as allegedly guided from or indulgence of this or that Bhavan, in the garb of democracy, thus enabling the nation earn the notorious championship in corruption, in addition to age-old championship in poverty, culture of impunity and violently confrontational politics.
It is a common perception that no country -- from "A" to "Z" -- is free from corruption. In Country "A", for instance, private corporations pay huge contributions for presidential election campaign and get handsome deals. Yet, that country is a great exponent of democracy, accountability and transparency, In poor "B", suspecting corruption, a Minister was publicly reprimanded by a visiting VIP from "D" for suspected corruption, while the Minister said he just wanted to prevent a contract for repair of boats at several times higher price than normal cost going to the donor "D", which remains the least corrupt country in the latest TI perception. We never know who was right.
There are hundreds of illegal and immoral means to acquire money, power, position and wealth. Bribery is the most common form of corruption in a Kleptocratic hierarchy. Bribe-takers and bribe-givers are equally guilty; even if some may be among top ten most incorruptible countries like "S". Remember Bofors! It is believed that the Prime Minister of "S", the famous practitioner of social-democracy, was assassinated in front of a cinema hall by an "insane person", because he came to know much about the affairs. The scandal ended in posthumous exoneration of an accused leader "Mr. Clean" in country "I".
But then, why do people become corrupt? Simple answer is: need and greed-both ingrained in human nature. For the poor, it is need, which is the cause of corruption; for the rich, it is greed. Illegal gratification is made, in cash or kind, to influence politicians, civil servants and others to get things done through improper action. In a corrupt state, officials are to be paid: "speed money" for functions they are supposed to perform anyway. They are bribed to neglect their chartered duties, such as enforcement of laws, to the advantage of the corrupt. Example: developers constructing apartment buildings disregarding municipal or environmental regulations get away by bribing inspectors. Corruption includes other forms of illegal practices like embezzlement of trusted funds, nepotism or favouritism in providing employment or awarding contract, extortion and fraud. Corruption can be on mini or grand scales, organised or sporadic or random. It is often visibly or invisibly institutionalised. The end-point of corruption is "kleptocracy", literally meaning "rule of thieves" (nearest Bangla word-Taskartantra) where even pretence of honesty is absent and the government of the day exists only to recklessly facilitate enrichment of the ruling elite and their cronies, with consequent impoverishment of the common people, while the government of the future restlessly waits or agitates for its turn. In a kleptocracy, the corrupt enjoys a high degree of impunity. Kleptocracy and culture of impunity go together, and help each other plunder national wealth.
Kleptocracy gradually gobbles up democracy and establishes a "government of the thieves, by the thieves and for the thieves". Kleptocrats try to perpetuate their rule, lest their misdeeds are exposed at the end of their tenure and they face trial for their offences. Kleptocracy has virtually become a form of government, though unrecognised and in Social Sciences, particularly unwelcome in art and science of Governance. Most kleptocracies used to be dictatorships or autocratic regimes, because democracy makes theft more difficult to accomplish, conceal and consume (not so in a democratic autocracy!). Kleptocrats often use violence, money laundering, autonomous international banking and other crimes for protecting and enjoying their ill-gotten resources. An apparent democratic state degenerates into kleptocracy, in a culture of unbridled corruption with a great amount of indulgence and impunity, a typical syndrome of dysfunctional, faltering, failing state.
Corruption is simply perceived as acceptance of unathorised benefits by public officials for self or other persons or groups of persons. In a corrupt system, files hardly move without speed money, which becomes regular take-home package of the rent seekers. Very few of them now care to keep it secret. Corruption poses a serious threat to political, social and economic development. In political arena, it undermines democratic institutions and good governance by subverting formal processes. Corruption in elections and functioning of legislative bodies reduces accountability and representational character in policy-making; corruption in judiciary suspends the rule of law; and corruption in public administration results in unequal delivery of services. It erodes institutional capacity of the government, as rules and procedures are disregarded in exercise of discretionary powers by administrators; resources are siphoned off, and officials are recruited or promoted without regard to merit or performance. It also undercuts legitimacy of the government and democratic values such as trust, tolerance and fundamental rights. Corruption in development projects makes them costlier and prolongs implementation time, resulting in compromise in quality and preventing desired impacts from reaching the targeted beneficiaries. Huge amount of international development assistance is misappropriated, sometimes in connivance with the "Donors".
However, corruption is not limited to the poorly paid public functionaries. It has crept into business ethics and corporate behaviour encompassing many professions. Along with corrupt Government officials, hoarders of essential consumer goods, builders constructing with sub-standard materials, doctors who get commissions from diagnostic tests and allowances from pharmaceutical companies for prescribing certain drugs, teachers who leak out question papers, or confer first class en masse in exchange of money are all thieves of Baghdad. Corporate, professional and intellectual corruption has added new dimensions and sophistication to the state of the art. In the private sector, corruption increases the costs of production; transactions and marketing that ultimately affect consumers. Commercial interests in baby food or other essential items are not exempted. Price of illicit payment to public servants and cost of lobbying with them along with risk of breaching unofficial agreements or betrayal and detection enhance delivery costs. Although private sector may argue that under-the-table transactions reduce costs by avoiding red-tapism, they will admit that prospect of further bribes induces officials to invent new rules or interpret existing ones to the disadvantage of the client who will then be on the knees to cut undue delays. Thus, corruption tends to create economic distortions, impeding collection of revenue and increasing budget constraints of the government. Bangladesh and other countries in the bottom of Corruption Index could have achieved higher level of economic growth, had corruption been under reasonable control.
Stealing is obviously more lucrative than toiling. Now almost nothing gets done unless a palm is greased. Gratifying the right person enables getting a pass, with a first class in some cases, in exam without much learning, a job without necessary qualification, driving licence without knowing art of driving, contract without fulfilling conditions and favourable verdict in court of law. In the process, it is the poor who are deprived most, as they cannot afford to bribe. As The Economist precisely puts it, "Corruption is but one form of oppression". Can this oppression be alleviated? Is corruption inescapable? To answer these questions, one must seek to identify the root causes of corruption. Why do people choose to be corrupt rather than honest? For some people, being corrupt or making others corrupt may be the easiest, indeed the only way to get what they need or want. Many people know that the persons holding authority not only ignore and tolerate the vice, but also practice it themselves to thrive. It becomes an example to follow. As corruption enters the whole fabric of the society, it becomes a more acceptable way of life. On the need aspect, it is apparent that people with pitifully low income have no option than accepting or demanding illegal gratification. People observe, those who extort bribes or buy undue advantages with bribes or resort to other forms of corruption go largely unpunished. Few have the strength to swim against the tide, in a sea of impunity.
"Because sentence against a misdeed has not been executed in time, the heart of the sons of men has become fully set in to do the same bad things", observed King Solomon. The other aspect of corruption is more dangerous. Greed combined with selfishness is a powerful motivation to make corruption a more aggressive force. Corrupt persons turn blind to the sufferings that their corruptibility inflicts on the average citizens, and they continue to plunder simply because it adds to their prosperity. Greed is endless and insatiable. The more they gain materially and in terms of power and position, the greedier become the sinister practitioners of corruption.
Persons with strong religious conviction attribute another factor - the role of the Satan, the lord of the invisible world order, who pro-actively promotes corruption with other vices. "I will give you all the kingdoms of the world if you fall down and worship me", he tried unsuccessfully to entice Jesus Christ. We, the ordinary mortals have little inner strength to decline the satanic overtures. "The desire of increasing riches occupieth you, till ye come to the grave. Nay! But in the end ye shall know your folly... surely ye shall see hell-fire ...Then shall ye on that day be taken to task for your pleasures," ordains Allah in Sura 102 of the Qur'an. Let it be known to perpetrators of all sorts of corruption for certain that they can obtain all forms of material assets, but cannot steal the key of the gate to heaven. We all know, chora na shoney dharmer kahini (the thief does not listen to sermons of piety). However, more than us, the ordinary humans, the people in power and position, who may themselves suffer from or tolerate and promote kleptomania, should realise the ultimate truth, rise above temptation, and stick to norms and values. They must distinguish good from evil, with a clear vision for welfare of the people they expansively represent and rule. Such a realisation can only help the people put an end to reign of repression, strengthen democracy and get rid of kleptocracy that has been the order of the day for decades of independent existence of this literally poor nation. Let the leaders, the servants of the people and the whistleblowers rise to the occasion.
The author is Executive Director, Centre for Governance Studies, and is available at
e-mail: cgs.bd.ed@gmail.com