Corruption & Resignations: Our Situation Looks Rather Pathetic!

By Rusiripala Tennakoon –AUGUST 11, 2017

Rusiripala Tennakoon

There are many things happening in the world relevant to the modern context of things happening here.

Plato wrote as given below:

“What is right is right and what’s wrong is wrong  ………. What is fine, no doubt, is everywhere legislated as fine and what is shameful as shameful but not the shameful as fine or the fine as shameful”.

Politics is a dirty game. Why is it so categorized? Because it is a game mostly played by wicked players. These players have no heart or compassion for the large numbers who elevated them to the position. Those down trodden and oppressed majorities are paying a high price to watch the dirty game of politics. The electors’ expectations to free them from bondages and social miseries are shattered by the nefarious political game players. Politicians are not only failing to deliver the goodies but they are far distancing them from the basic ethics and moralities the public demand from them.

In such a scenario we are compelled to look elsewhere to at least find out whether things are the same everywhere. To our great consolation, there are instances which we can site as exceptional cases of good political leadership influencing ethical conduct.

Photo courtesy Ishara Kodikara and Facebook Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Sri Lanka 

The recently elected French President Macron has insisted that his ministers must be morally irreproachable. His commitment in this regard has been so well acknowledged that he has been nicknamed “Jupiter” comparing him to the all-powerful Roman God of heaven and earth who embodies a sense of morality and the obligation of duty to correct behavior.

Four of his newly appointed cabinet ministers including a President of his powerful coalition partner from Mo-Dem party resigned their ministerial portfolios due to allegations of corruption.  Bayrou, President of the coalition ally said before resignation to a press briefing, “that he had been the victim of an orchestrated smear campaign but decided to stand down to prevent the government being exposed to controversy”.

The ruling party declared that their departure has “simplified the situation”. No doubt the step was a relief to all concerned and the country at large. Some of the members of the party of the resigned ministers are at the center of an inquiry into misuse of funds from the European Union.

The Anti-Corruption Police is conducting investigations into allegations of “breach of trust and concealment of the offence”.

In Pakistan President Nawaz Sheriff stepped down when the Supreme Court ordered to remove him from office over allegations of corruption. Accusations against him were mainly based on the famous “Panama Papers”.

Michel Termor President of Brazil was charged for corruption and helping a young entrepreneur who has made billions of dollars by transactions with insider trading.

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