There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men.
Modern societies are fighting to stem an unprecedented level of corruption across the globe. There is pervasive hankering for material things even when personal values are compromised in the process. Is Barbados insulated from the global experience?
There has been a lot of puffing of the chest by the political people in reaction to Transparency International’s release of the global corruption barometer for 2013. BU understands that Prime Minister Fruendel Stuart gave an interview to BBC and addressed the issue – how Barbados maintains its clean image given our high rating. Any good PR planted in the UK space is good given the dent to our reputation in the last 12 months. BU is not bowled over by Transparency International reports because we know this is based on a ‘perception index’ and then there is the relativity of the result. What is the significance of Barbados registering a better score on the corruption index compared to Jamaica, T&T, EC countries and others in the English speaking Caribbean anyway? Let us smile about the PR opportunity for Barbados but let us not forget that the incumbent government ran its campaign in 2008 on what it perceived was corruption by the Barbados Labour Party (BLP). Who do we believe Mr Prime Minister you or Transparency International?
More important should be the focus by Barbadians on what political science refers to as ‘legitimation crisis’. This is defined when “a governing structure still retains the legal authority by which to govern, but is not able to demonstrate that its practical functioning fulfills the end for which it was instituted.” Some will argue that BU is being harsh in its assessment of the reality that is Barbados. We think NOT.
Let us pick two examples which we have flogged over the years. It is widely known members in the hierarchy of the police force did (do) not see eye to eye. The tension we have been made to understand was greater before Assistant Commissioner Bertie Hinds retired. As a result of the tension in high command many senior police officers scurried to take up jobs in the private and non governmental sectors (What a waste of resources). When questioned, Barbadians were told by Commissioner Darwin Dottin that the police force was performing its role to his satisfaction. One wonders if the police high command was able to cultivate a greater team dynamic if better results would have been possible.
As we write this blog suspended Commissioner Darwin Dottin and Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Seymour Cumberbatch have challenged in our court key decisions by the Police Service Commission. Lest we forget there is the case outstanding which provoked a prominent QC to skin his botsy at a judge which involves several senior officers who have also challenged officialdom.
The other example is the judicial system which – to use a generic definition – is established to deliver equal justice under the law. BU has posted time and again about the ‘log jam’ of court cases which has neutered the ability of our judiciary to deliver justice. By the Chief Justice’s own words and other officers of the Court we have a problem. BU’s simple measure of performance – and which the CCJ concurs – by the judiciary is, justice delayed is justice denied – see Tales From the Courts.
Never (and this is our considered view) in our history have Barbadians become disillusioned about so many of our governance structures and other key agencies which comprise civil society.
We deliberated avoided the political system which in our view has shown all the indicators that it continues to struggle with exerting the tenets of a true democracy. When will the Public Accounts Committee deliver? When will the Committee of Privileges in parliament execute fairly read David Estwick? When will members of parliament be driven to vote conscience and not party affiliated robots? When will our system of government respond to 40% of its people who have withdrawn from the system as evidence by voting statistics?
“A legitimation crisis arises when the economic or political system can no longer count on sufficient levels of support from the population to continue to function – that is, to reproduce itself without resorting to force or violence” – Habermas.
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