SABC Stifles Public Policy Debate - DA

Cape Town - Broadcaster accused of political bias - Opposition accusations concerning the political bias of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and the threat this posed to the holding of a free and fair election gained new impetus yesterday. The Democratic Alliance (DA) claimed the public broadcaster was suppressing debates on vital issues of public policy. The accusations followed last week's political storm after the SABC gave extensive coverage to the launch of the election manifesto of the African National Congress (ANC). The corporation has refused to grant other parties the same exposure on the grounds that its intention had been to cover President Thabo Mbeki's first major speech for the year. Last week it gave coverage to the ANC's provincial launches.

Opposition parties including the DA, the Inkatha Freedom Party and the United Democratic Movement lodged a complaint with the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa). However, Icasa exonerated the broadcaster on the grounds that Mbeki had not yet formally announced the election date and so, strictly speaking, election campaigning had not yet begun. Yesterday, though, the DA cited more instances of what it saw as political bias in how the SABC treated issues, and said it would seek an urgent meeting with SABC TV News head Jimi Mat- thews and political editor Vuyo Mvoko to discuss the matter. It was not sufficient, said DA spokesman Douglas Gibson, that the SABC gave opposition parties a "20-second sound bite" and then purported that this satisfied its obligation to provide a plurality of views.

Gibson complained that SABC TV had declined to cover his party's detailed, critical analysis of the ANC's promises to create 1million jobs and employ 150000 police officers. "A debate over key policy areas and the future direction of our country is precisely what an election in a democracy is all about. "Thanks to SABC TV's refusal to air that debate, millions are being denied their right to a diversity of views over issues which are crucially important to them," Gibson said. "The SABC as public broadcaster has an obligation to expose the voting public to a range of views. If the official opposition is not afforded the opportunity by the public broadcaster to debate policy with the ruling party during an election campaign, then the strength and quality of our democracy is being damaged. "We cannot and will not allow that to happen without a vigorous campaign in response," he said. The broadcaster, Gibson said, had to go beyond the mere espousal of lofty, general principles of fairness. Repeated attempts to obtain comment from the SABC were not successful.

From AllAfrica.com, Africa, by Linda Ensor, 22 January 2004

45-Member Committee of Bangladesh Public Administration Association Formed

Dhaka - A 45-member committee of Bangladesh Public Administration Association (BPA) has been formed. Sharful Alam, joint secretary, ministry of local government, was elected president and Dr Zakirul Islam as secretary general of the committee. The other office bearers of the committee are vice-presidents-Mahmudul Hauque, Kabiruzzaman, Alamgir Hossain, Waliullah, Lutfur Rahman, Ataur Rahman and Shahinul Islam. Joint secretaries are ANM Bazlur Rahman, Fazlul Houqe, Nurul Kabir Siddiqui, Abu Zafar Badrul Hasan and Allama Siddiqui, financial secretary- Abdul Awal, Office and Publicity secretary - Reazul Islam, publication and literary secretary-Golam Shafiuddin, Cultural secretary-Parveen Azad, Sports Secretary-Ahmedur Rahman Bablu, International Affair Secretary -Rashed Chowdhury, Seminar secretary-Aftab Pramanik. Executive members are Dr Moslehuddin Terek, Khoda Box Chowdhury, Golam Mostafa, Dr Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, Dr Akhter Hossain, Badru Chowdhury, Zahanara Begum Lina, Rehana Parveen Hashi, Kabir Mohammad Ashraf Alam, Mahfuzul Houqe, Moshiur Rahman, Reshed Sarwar, Mahbub Hossain, Anwarul Karim, Tariqul Islam, Rafiqul Islam, Shammi Akhter, Saleh Shibly, Abdul Quader, Billal Hossain, Abdul Malek, Abdul Bari, Rawshan Ara and Dr Parveen Banu.

From Matamat.com, Bangladesh, 3 January 2004

'Public Servants Should be Given All Encouragement'

The government is now implementing public service reforms on the basis of finding urgent solutions to the problems of public servants and transforming the public service into a more humane service, said Public Administration, Management and Reforms Minister, Vajira Abeywardena. He was speaking at a ceremony held at his ministry to mark the handing over of appointment letters to a batch of 26 SLAS Officers who have been promoted to Class One of their service. Minister Abeywardena said the new batch of Class One Officers would be the highest positions in the public service which had fallen vacant and they would be given the option to select stations of their choice. He said public servants should be given all encouragement and inducement to work as a team to provide maximum service towards the future welfare of the motherland. This should be done by providing them with opportunities to display their skills in an environment of freedom. He said youth talent should be utilised to the maximum to improve the public service and it was encouraging to see that the new batch of officers were of a comparatively young age. Ministry Secretary, S. C. Mannapperuma, Director General Combined Services, Victor Samaraweera and Acting Director Combined Services, N. R. Athukorale also spoke.

From Daily News, Sri Lanka, 23 January 2004

Australian Plans for Police and Public Servants to PNG in Doubt

Australia's plans to send police, judges and public servants to Papua New Guinea may have stalled with the adjourning of the country's parliament until June. From Port Moresby, Shane McLeod reports the long delay means it may be months until appropriate legislation and treaties can be put in place: "With protection from a vote of no confidence expiring early next month, the government has adjourned parliament to the 29th of June. That's affected plans for the arrival of more than 200 Australian police and public servants. The arriving officers are expected to require legislation to back their legal status, which may not finalised for months. However, parliament may be recalled to swear in a new governor-general once a court case is resolved, and P-N-G's Ombudsman Commission has foreshadowed that it may take court action, challenging the legality of the extended parliamentary break."

From ABC Asia Pacific, Asia, 22 January 2004

Sahin: Public Administration Bill Has Been Sent To Parliament

Ankara - State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said on Monday that the public administration basic draft law was sent to the parliament. Speaking in a news conference, Sahin said that they made 11 amendments in the bill which was earlier submitted to the Council of Ministers. ''National Education Ministry's organizations in towns won't be transferred to provincial administration offices,'' he said, adding that the bill related to local administrations would be ready in February.

From Turkish Press, Turkey, 29 December 2003

Bill to Protect Civil Service Independence

MPs' committee anticipates Hutton criticism with measures to give legal force to Whitehall codes of conduct after 150 years - A bill legally safeguarding the principle of the independence and impartiality of Whitehall was published by the Commons public administration committee yesterday, in an attempt to make good 150 years of failure by successive governments. The committee, chaired by the Labour MP Tony Wright, aims to press the government to honour a promise to present its own bill to parliament this year. The committee's bill has been drafted with the help of the former cabinet secretary Lord Wilson, whose attempt to introduce a law was thwarted by ministers two years ago. It gives statutory backing to the civil service codes on propriety. It also strengthens the role of the Civil Service Commissioners, giving the body which vets appointment procedures wide-ranging powers to investigate civil service recruitment and breaches of the code of conduct.

These new powers anticipate criticism from Lord Hutton's report on the death of the government scientist David Kelly, which is due out this month. The report is likely to find that senior civil servants in Whitehall failed to do their job to protect him. The new powers would allow people like Dr Kelly to take their complaints in confidence to the commissioners without exercising what Lord Wilson called the "nuclear option" of having to ask the cabinet secretary to investigate them. This right has hardly ever been used because of the political repercussions. The bill would also allow parliament to limit the number of ministerial special advisers. It would end an anomaly which allows Irish citizens to become civil servants, but bars applicants from any other European Union country. The MPs say in a statement: "The bill is not intended to shield civil servants from change or make them a protected species.

In fact, it would make their duties and obligations clearer than ever. Neither would it affect the right of ministers to run their departments, make policy and deliver programmes. "What it would do, for the first time, is to anchor some of the key operating principles of our system of government in parliament." One member of the committee, Brian White, Labour MP for Milton Keynes north-east, issued a minority report dis senting from the rest of the committee. He condemns the bill as "inappropriate and premature". He said the proposals would only protect the 3,000 most senior civil servants and that the proposed legislation was flawed because it did not define who is a civil servant. "Legislation defining and protecting the civil service will only serve to protect vested interests and stall reform," he said. He backs the view held by the current cabinet secretary, Sir Andrew Turnbull, that Whitehall should concentrate on improving the delivery of services to the public and not on promoting new laws safeguarding civil servants' codes of conduct which are already in place.

From Guardian, UK, by David Hencke, 5 January 2004

No Info about the New Offices

The Cabinet has failed to inform citizens of the addresses and telephone numbers of the new public administration offices that were created on January 1, the daily Pravda wrote. Analyst Jaroslav Pilát said: "The ministries failed completely. As soon as they approved the laws [on new offices], they should have launched a massive campaign." No such campaign took place, however, and many of the new offices still do not have their phone numbers registered in the phone book. With the coming of the new year, eight regional and 79 old district offices were shut down as part of the ongoing public administration reform, and new specialized offices were opened throughout the country. Viktor Nižnanský, the father of the country's public administration reform, admitted that more should have been done to inform the public of the new addresses, contact numbers, and office hours.

From Slovak Spectator, Slovakia, 12 January 2004

Standards Committee Criticises Government's Civil Service Plans

Government proposals to "enhance" the role of special advisers to allow them to hold meetings with civil servants about advice to ministers were yesterday criticised by the standards watchdog. Sir Nigel Wicks, the Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, will today make the Government's plans to amend the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers public. He will warn that the amendment could lead to politicisation of Whitehall. "There is an inevitable risk here that such involvement of Special Advisers in civil servants' advice to ministers will prejudice the provision of objective and independent advice from civil servants," he will say. Sir Nigel, in an interview with The Independent, warned that legal curbs on the role of special advisers should be introduced in the form of a civil service act. The committee chairman urged Tony Blair to take personal responsibility for bringing in a Bill and preventing the civil service from becoming "politicised". Sir Nigel said a Bill was crucial to prevent a re-run of the Jo Moore affair - in which a special adviser told civil servants that September 11 was a good day to "bury" bad news.

His advice will be published in his committee's official response to the Government's proposals on curbing Whitehall sleaze. The response comes ahead of the publication of the Hutton inquiry into the Dr David Kelly affair, which is expected to have far-reaching implications for the civil service. Sir Nigel criticized the Government for failing to introduce a Bill protecting civil servants from bullying by ministers and their special advisers. "The responsibility for this lies with the minister for the civil service and the minister for the civil service is the Prime Minister," Sir Nigel said. He will call for more powers to be given to the Civil Service Commissioners, who oversee the appointment of civil servants, to investigate allegations of bullying of civil servants on their own initiative. Sir Nigel also warns against allowing ministers to have a choice in the appointment of civil servants from outside Whitehall. This could lead to party activists or friends of ministers gaining preferential treatment in the appointment process and an erosion of the principle that Whitehall officials should be politically impartial.

From Independent, UK, by Marie Woolf, 12 January 2004

Law on Alternative Civil Service Comes in Force on January 1, 2004

Krasnoyarsk - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov told a conference in Krasnoyarsk, the Siberia, that a law on alternative civil service shouldn't create new opportunities for potential conscripts to defer army service. The law came in force as of January 1, 2004. "At present, we have 22 call-up deferments, more than any other country in the world. Therefore, only ten percent of young men of the call-up age are really drafted into the army," the defence minister went on to say. At the same time, Sergei Ivanov said that several thousand young people wanted to do alternative civil service.

From ITAR-TASS, Russia, 14 January 2004

Tories Attack 'Hesitation' over Civil Service Bill

The government must cease its "endless hesitation" over the introduction of a civil service bill, former chancellor Kenneth Clarke insisted today. The evidence to the Hutton inquiry had shown ministers had politicised the service "as never before" so legislation was now "urgent". Mr. Clarke, returning to the Tory frontbench for the first time in almost seven years, accused the government of speaking with "forked tongues" over proposed reforms. Flanked by members of the shadow cabinet - including Tory leader Michael Howard - as he opened an opposition debate, Mr. Clarke told MPs: "The evidence given to the Hutton inquiry throws such a light on the way in which decisions were reached. "It throws such a light on the relationship between the non-elected, non-accountable powerful figures that the prime minister has brought into No 10 and the civil servants who should have shared responsibility. "Today is the day for the government to be driven away from saying 'we will consult, we agree in principle'. "Action is required if we're going to get back the confidence of the public in the political and public system." Mr. Clarke made clear he was in "no way" pre-judging Lord Hutton's report into the death of government weapons scientist Dr David Kelly, which will be published next week.

He told MPs: "The reason we are pressing this today is that we have actually now reached the stage where despite their protestations, the present government have politicised the civil service as never before. "Party political control over the formulation of policy is steadily developing, party political control of the presentation of policy has become almost absolute and it's no coincidence I trust that we're all considering this on the eve of the Hutton inquiry." Mr. Clarke went on: "I've reached the stage where I do not believe them - the government is not acting in good faith. "There comes a point where endless hesitation becomes opposition. There comes a stage where procrastination becomes positive deception of people. "The position of the government is actually: there is no grass long enough in the political world into which they do not wish to throw this proposition." Cabinet Office minister Douglas Alexander reminded Mr. Clarke that the Tory government of which he had been part had itself failed to introduce a civil service bill. Mr. Clarke's last appearance on the frontbench was in 1997 when he served briefly as shadow chancellor before William Hague beat him to the Tory leadership. The former chancellor - who turned down a place in the current shadow cabinet - is however on Mr. Howard's advisory council of "wise men", alongside former leaders Mr Hague, John Major and Iain Duncan Smith.

From Guardian, UK, 21 January 2004

Questions Remain over Political Appointees in Public Recruitment bill - Labour

Speaking during today's Dail debate on the new Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointment) Bill 2003 Labour Party Spokesperson on Finance, Deputy Joan Burton, stated that the Labour Party had grave reservations about sections of the Bill, particularly those relating to the appointment of special advisers and canvassing in relation to public service appointments. Deputy Burton commented, "The Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 initiated by the Labour Party in the Rainbow Government forbade the appointment of these special advisers to permanent positions in the Civil Service. The new Bill proposes to repeal that section without any explanation from the Minister in the Explanatory Memorandum. "The proposed Bill provides that the newly established Commission for Public Services Appointments may allow special advisers to be appointed to established positions. This means that special advisers may be able to circumvent the rules on open, competitive recruitment to the public service. "The response by Minister McCreevy to the Labour Party's criticism of the Bill, is to say that the public interest will be protected by such appointments being governed by a code of practice to be approved by the new Commissioners for Public Service Appointments.

This is a feeble substitute for a legislative bar on such appointments, and the Labour Party will be submitting an amendment to have the bar on the appointment of advisers clearly set out in the new Bill. "We are also seeking amendments to section 56c of the Bill which provides for a statutory ban on canvassing for appointments. But breach of the ban on canvassing gives rise to criminal liability on the part of canvasser only. In other words, a Minister who was canvassed and acted on foot of such a communication in order to secure an appointment is guilty of a criminal offence. "In the discussions on Decentralisation many government TDs commented on the number of Communications they had received from civil servants anxious to relocate to their constituencies. Any use of influence by politicians in public service appointments and relocations should be statutorily barred. "Further, the Government is now proposing to break up the centralised public service recruitment system, which has served this state well since its foundation. The Labour Party is anxious to support any changes that improve the delivery of public services, but there are many questions that need answers to justify so radical a change of policy.

This is particularly true in the context of the Governments decision to decentralise 44 Government Departments and Agencies across the state". "The Bill proposes to dismantle the Civil Services Commission and the Local Appointment Commissioners and to replace them with the 2 new bodies ? The Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) and the Public Appointments Service (PAS). It will allow Secretary-Generals of Government Departments to acquire recruitment licences to recruit staff directly themselves or to use private recruitment agencies who become licence holders under the new Bill. "The origin of the Bill appears to have been negotiated as part of the Sustaining Progress National Agreement, but there has been no public debate otherwise on the merits or demerits of these radical changes in recruitment to the public service.

While the existing public service recruitment procedure could be seen as slow, particularly at the height of the Celtic Tiger, public confidence in the integrity of the system was very high. "With the localisation of recruitment provided for in the new Bill, together with the Decentralisation of 44 departments and agencies across the State there is a real fear that there could be an excessive localisation of recruitment and the loss of a unified civil service career structure and appointment system "By relocating departments and agencies around the country the question arises will a department or agency based in Kerry or Mayo, for example, end up excessively favouring local applicants for public service jobs? "The Local Appointments Commission was introduced partly to cut out excessive canvassing by local politicians in favour of local candidates to Local Authorities.

One recalls in the aftermath of the Decentralisation announcement at Budget time the posters and leaflets by Minister of State Parlon welcoming civil servants to "Parlon Country." I want an assurance that this Bill will not facilitate a culture of local favouritism in appointments to departments located outside Dublin. "Value for money is obviously not an issue for the Minister in this Bill, or in the proposal to decentralise 100 staff of the Civil Service Commissioners to Youghal. In March 2002 the Taoiseach opened brand new purpose built office building for the Commission, at a cost of EU3 million and includes state of the art interview and video conferencing suites. "The new structure also provides for an expansion of the new Civil Service Commissioners, the Commission for Public Services Appointments (CPSA), and the new Public Appointments Service (PAS) to have 9 member boards in each case as opposed to the current 3 member boards. "In recent times the country has been traumatised by evidence of corruption through many tribunals of inquiry. Maintaining absolute public confidence in the integrity of the recruitment system must be a priority for all political parties. Unfortunately because of the lack of public debate and discussion surrounding the introduction of this Bill, the Minister must answer the questions raised by the Labour Party."

From Politics.ie, Ireland, 21 January 2004

Commons Select Committee Welcomes Proposed Civil Service Legislation

The House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee-has welcomed the Government's pledge to bring forward early civil service legislation. Cabinet Office Minister Douglas Alexander yesterday promised the House of Commons that a draft bill on the civil service would be presented in the current Session of Parliament. Such a move was recommended in a PASC report published earlier this month. The Committee Chairman, Tony Wright MP, said: "We are delighted that the Government has accepted our recommendation so quickly, committing itself to early legislation to protect the values of the civil service. "This is a crucial step forward and a clear demonstration of the value of the Committee's initiative. Current concerns demonstrate the importance of making sure that Parliament plays a central role in maintaining a strong ethical framework for the work of the Civil Service. "We look forward to taking part in the debate on the draft Bill, and hope that Parliament can put in place a robust mechanism, possibly in the form of a joint committee of Lords and Commons, to ensure that the legislation reaches the statute book as soon as possible. I hope that this important constitutional advance will be supported right across the political spectrum."

From PublicTechnology.net, UK, 23 January 2004

First UK Guide On E-Government Legal Issues Unveiled

E-Government: A Practical Guide to the Legal Issues, from the publisher Sweet & Maxwell claims to be the first comprehensive text to cover all legal issues that central/local government and their advisers need to consider when bringing their services online. Government's goal to be fully online by 2005 is a fast approaching challenge but one that can be delivered by central/local authority lawyers more quickly and conveniently with the proper guide. As the workload for government offices continues to increase, e-government departments are tasked to maintain high standards of quality and responsiveness. And as councils strive to improve delivery of services, lawyers need to consider the legal issues surrounding personal information, confidentiality and privacy.

E-Government: A Practical Guide to the Legal Issues offers an extensive database of research from all departments and services such as information provision, revenue collection (Council Tax and income tax), grants & benefits, procurement, voting, regulations and consulting. This one-stop source of legal requirements can help Central Government and Local Authorities to deliver on some of the promise of e-government by clarifying the laws and issues that need to be managed when implementing e-government. One librarian from a well known lawfirm (who cannot be named because staff are not allowed to endorse outside commercial products) described it to Managing Information as 'very readable and authoritative.' 'E-Government: A Practical Guide to the Legal Issues' costs £69 and is available at legal booksellers or by visiting www.sweetandmaxwell.co.uk or calling 020 7449 1111.

Contents of E-Government: A Practical Guide to the Legal Issues:
Introduction - Explains why the book is relevant to central and local government
Part 1: Defining the Scope of E-Government
Chapter 1 - What is Electronic Government?
Chapter 2 - Key Government Bodies Involved in Electronic Government
Chapter 3 - The Policy Framework for Electronic Service Delivery
Chapter 4 - Electronic Government and Public Procurement Law
Part 2: Implementing Electronic Government
Chapter 5 - Local Authorities - Implementing E-Government at a Local Level
Chapter 6 - Drafting and Negotiating the Contract
Chapter 7 - Managing Electronic Government Projects
Part 3: The Implications of Electronic Government
Chapter 8 - Data Protection , Data Sharing and Employee Monitoring
Chapter 9 - A Presence on the Web - The Legal Implications of Having a Digital Presence
Chapter 10 - Security and the Government Gateway
Chapter 11 - Intellectual Property Rights and Domain Names
Chapter 12 - Electronic Voting
Chapter 13 - Electronic Procurement
Chapter 14 - Electronic Government in a Wider Context - eEurope 2005 and Similar Initiatives

From Managing Information, UK, 23 January 2004

Public Administration: A Third Works in School Sector

Rome - A third of the public administration works in the school department. On a total of 3,377,918 units 1,130,658 units (33.4 pct) work for the school sector, followed by the national health service (20.4 pct), the regional and local authorities (17.9 pct), the police forces (9.5 pct), the ministries (3.7 pct), the armed forces and the universities (3.3 pct). That is the 'picture' of the 'Public Account 2002' of civil servants, presented today by the general State Accountant, Vittorio Grilli, in occasion of the conference "The cost of public labour: evolutions and prospects ten years after the '93 reforms". In the 2000-2002 period - the report explains - there has also been a slight increase in the number of civil servants: 1.3 pct between 2000 and 2001, and a reduction of 0.7 pct in 2002.

From Agenzia Giornalistica Italia, Italy, 22 January 2004

Civil Service: Mazzella, Contracts To Be Signed Very Soon

Rome - The Minister for Public Administration, Luigi Mazzella, said he hoped that the Cabinet will "very soon" renew the contracts of the fire-fighters. He also said that he is "very satisfied" with the contract that has been signed for the employees of the Tax agencies: "I am pleased with my positive approach and my confidence in a positive result and that I have always endeavoured to reach the targets I had set myself". With the modifications to the Aran and the negotiation system, Mazzella hopes to close the next round of contracts "earlier than used to be the case with the current muddled negotiation system. Obviously, with the unvaried legislation, talks will start immediately and I hope that we will soon be able to introduce new rules that will streamline the process. This is one of the points on the agenda during the forthcoming talks with the unions".

From Agenzia Giornalistica Italia, Italy, 26 January 2004

Saudi Reform

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared as a Middle East Document in the online edition of the Middle East Economic Survey (MEES) on January 12, 2004. The following is a MEES translation of the text of the final communiqué and recommendations of the Second National Intellectual Dialogue meeting in Makkah which was published on the Elaph website on 4 January. In pursuance of Shari'a principles based on safeguarding people's interest and concern with the public good, carrying out the responsibility borne by the country's clergy and intellectuals, and taking up from the First National Intellectual Dialogue which was followed by a Royal Decree to establish the King ?Abd al-?Aziz Center for National Dialogue, the Second National Intellectual Dialogue meeting was held in Makkah on 4-8 Dhu al-Qa?da 1424 H, corresponding to 27-31 December 2003 AD. The purpose was to establish the idea of dialogue as a part of the way of life and the main means to get to know the realities and trends of public opinion in order to present them to the authorities responsible for introducing reforms. A group of clergy, intellectuals and academics - men and women - representing a range of intellectual outlooks, took part in the meeting. The subject was "Excess and Moderation: A Thorough Review."

The subject was carefully chosen, bearing in mind the danger of excess and the great harm it causes to the country and its people - and to the world as a whole - and taking into account the context of the age we live in which is witnessing all kinds of excess. The working papers on the subject of the meeting were written in advance by experts specializing in legal, social, psychological, educational, political, economic and media affairs in order to obtain a clear and balanced study of it. The purpose was to bring about effective and commendable ways to remove extremism and excess from this country, all the while preserving national unity and the consolidation of society at a time when it is being buffeted by uncompromising groups that are distorting the teaching of religion and contradicting its true aims. The purpose of the meeting was to study the problem and the reasons for it, as well as to analyze its various facets with a view to formulating suggestions to help confront the symptoms of excess. Sixty men and women - clergy, academics and leading opinion-formers in society - took part in the meeting, along with 15 specialist researchers.

They tackled the subject of excess and moderation in 14 working sessions, with much attention given to free and open discussion, dealing with the following aspects: 1. The legal aspect. Including study of the concepts and phenomena of excess, through the Quran and the Sunna, and discussing the concept of excess from an overall juristic point of view, as well as the current phenomenon of denouncing others as non-believers, and criticizing them for the level of their social commitment and loyalty to religious practices, as well as the issue of dealing with non-Muslims, and how puritanical one is and others should be - in addition to the relationship between rulers and the ruled, citizens' rights and obligations. 2. The psychological and social aspect. Including subjects such as: characteristics of an extremist personality, and the effects of education and social upbringing on the local environment, plus a social examination of religious education in Saudi society.

3. The education aspect. The effect of religious curricula and the role of the teacher and the social milieu in achieving moderation, the role of education in bringing about sound ways of thinking and creating a balanced personality, in addition to the discussion of dubious educational activity and its impact on the achievement of excess or moderation. 4. The political and economic aspect. The importance of popular participation, intellectually and practically, in dealing with excess in society and its relationship with freedom and human rights, and the extent of engagement with the affairs of Muslims in the world at large. Also, a study of the economic factor and its influence on excess, plus its relationship with other phenomena such as: poverty, unemployment, general financial management, economic growth and balanced development. 5. The media aspect. The media coverage of the phenomenon of excess, stressing the importance of freedom of expression in the various forms of the media, and the effect of this on dealing with excess.

Plus media coverage of religious sermons and its role in confronting excess and achieving moderation. The participants ended their discussions with a commitment to Saudi national unity, based on Islam as the source of theology and law. Referring to the acts of terrorism that the world - including Saudi Arabia - has witnessed, the participants reiterated their rejection of it and called for more solidarity in dealing with it, especially given the bloody bomb attacks that the world and our country has experienced, resulting in the killing of innocent people, the defiling of sacred places, the terrorizing of believers and the destruction of property. After lengthy study, the participants made the following recommendations: 1. A call on religious academic institutions to agree on definitions for terms related to excess, such as: terrorism, Jama?at al-Muslimin, Dar al-Harb, Dar al-Kufr, Dar al-Islam, al-Taifa al-Mansura etc. 2. A call for a comprehensive scientific study of the phenomenon of excess in Saudi society: its causes, forms and impact, in order to develop a comprehensive strategy to deal with it. 3. The speeding up of the political reform process, widening public participation through: elections to choose members of the Shura Council and regional councils, encouraging the formation of trade unions and voluntary societies, and civil society institutions. 4. Developing lines of communication between rulers and the ruled, and making a clear distinction between the three branches of government: administrative, judicial and executive.

5. Stressing the control of economic affairs when it comes to public funds, making expenditure on basic resources for citizens the priority according to a balanced and comprehensive development program, and stressing the need to lower the public debt by means of stringent measures, achieving the principle of transparency and accountability in the process. 6. A call to modernize the religious message to conform with contemporary developments, with a careful understanding of conditions in the world at large, dealing with them in an open and interactive way. 7. Stressing the rejection of individual fatwas on public issues affecting the interests of the state and its future, such as war and peace, and assigning this responsibility to those qualified on the subject, as well as upgrading the performance and instruments involved in issuing fatwas. 8. Establishing the concept of dialogue in Saudi society, and teaching new generations in schools and universities about this by opening the doors of responsible free speech that safeguards public interests. 9. Developing educational programs in various specializations at the feet of competent experts, in subjects including the spreading of the spirit of tolerance and moderation, and the development of cognitive skills, to play a part in achieving comprehensive development, keeping the process under periodic review.

10. Supporting healthy youth programs, setting up mechanisms for them, and establishing youth centers - for boys and for girls - in residential neighborhoods, drawing up programs focused on the need for young people to develop a spirit of innovation, under supervision according to defined principles. 11. Observing negative phenomena in society and making future plans to deal with them, by means of cooperation between universities and scientific research institutions. 12. Strengthening the role of women in all aspects of life, and calling for the setting up of specialist national authorities concerning themselves with the affairs of children, women and the family. 13. Opening the door to anyone wanting to give up violence or evil and repent; and rather than casting him out and dealing harshly with him, helping him to reintegrate into society. 14. Guaranteeing a fair trial for those accused of acts of violence and terrorism, allowing them a choice of lawyers and freedom to meet them whenever they wish. 15. Putting in place a comprehensive strategy to help to pull young people in the right direction and remove them from excess and extremism, giving them opportunities for work, training and qualifications, and widening the grounds for their acceptance in various educational institutions.

16. Stressing the need for balance in media coverage of matters relating to religion and the state, putting in place a system for this in a way that avoids anything that creates division, and takes into account intellectual and religious sectarian diversity. 17. Paying attention to the media message of the kingdom abroad and developing it to confront contemporary challenges, and calling for the setting up of a specialist unit at the King ?Abd al-?Aziz Center for National Dialogue for the dialogue of civilizations and cultures, and studies related to them. 18. The participants recommended that the subject of the third meeting should be one of the following: o The Relationship Between Ruler And The Ruled. o The Rights And Duties Of Women. o Popular Political Participation. o Education. In conclusion, the participants directed their thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd ibn ?Abd al-?Aziz, and his Crown Prince ?Abd Allah ibn ?Abd al-?Aziz, and the Second Deputy Prince Sultan ibn ?Abd al-?Aziz for the facilities provided for the participants during this meeting.

From Saudi Arabia United States Relations, United States, 12 January 2004

Political Squabbling Halts Reform, Privatization Program

A little over a year ago, Lebanon won $4.4 billion in soft loan pledges from donor countries that met during the Paris II conference. In return, the government of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri promised to initiate administrative reforms and privatize state held assets to lower the suffocating national debt, which currently stands at $32 billion. What was the direct result of Paris II? Confidence in Lebanon shot up, interest rates plummeted and the prime minister became the savior of the economy. Even private banks played a major role by buying $4 billion worth of zero-coupon T-bills. Rating agencies and international financial organizations began mirroring the new found confidence by releasing promising reports and by upgrading the country's credit ratings. A little over a year after Paris II the mood has radically changed. Privatization has failed, reforms have halted and Lebanon's image has seriously degraded. The World Bank said, in its third quarter 2003 country report, that the "status quo budget for 2004 signifies that the authorities have given up, at least for the time being, to pursue their strategy presented at Paris II."

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) criticized Lebanon's economic policy by saying that the "near-term outlook for the economic reform program is poor. The 2004 budget has confirmed to most observers that the premier's reform agenda has lost its energy." International rating agency Standard and Poor's (S&P) lowered its outlook for Lebanon from positive to stable and said that the "outlook revision reflects our view that the draft budget for 2004 implies a postponement in fiscal consolidations and hence delays the envisaged reduction in the government's debt burden." Citigroup, another international financial organization, said in its sovereign credit research that Lebanon can ill afford the consequences of further delay on key reform efforts. Failure to do so "could have huge costs for Lebanon," it stated. Merrill Lynch, which ruled out a financial crisis over the next six to twelve months, warned that even if Paris II provided Lebanon with substantial breathing space in which to implement a package of reforms necessary to put the debt dynamics back on a sustainable footing, authorities have not been able to deliver promises, the fiscal adjustment has fallen short of plans and there have been no concrete results on privatization or securitization."

Moody's downgraded Lebanon credit to negative, mainly due to the government's failure to implement privatization and securitization. "We note that the margin for error in achieving the government's economic program is practically zero, and success hinges on the stop-gap financing provided by privatization and leases of state-owned companies," stated Moody's in its credit research. So what's next? According to all of the reports, the delays in delivering the promises made during Paris II will continue at least until the presidential elections, which are scheduled for November 2004. The agencies and organizations have unanimously blamed poor economic performances to the ongoing power struggle between the president and the prime minister. The privatization of the mobile sector was halted by political bickering and has thus reflected a very negative economic atmosphere in Lebanon. Instead of successfully privatizing and liberalizing the profitable sector - as promised - the government found an "amicable" solution so that political differences would be eased. However, that solution is not a sign that Lebanon is ready to keep up to its promises. If anything, it shows the contrary. The same goes for the 2004 budget.

From Daily Star, Lebanon, 26 January 2004

Democrats, Union Leaders Review Civil Service Proposals

Denver - Proposed changes in the state civil service system drew criticism, praise and wary watchfulness from union officials and Democrats who reviewed them. At a meeting on Monday, one lawmaker said the changes could open the door to a political spoils system while another said they would modernize antiquated rules. A union leader said she would oppose the changes. The changes, proposed by a commission formed by Gov. Bill Owens, include eliminating competitive tests for hiring and promotion and making it easier to discipline or fire employees. They would also get rid of residency requirements and expand the number of high-level employees who could be hired outside the civil service system. Lawmakers will consider the changes in the legislative session that begins Wednesday. Voters would have the final say, because the proposals require a change in the state constitution. ''The original intent of the civil service system was to eliminate patronage,'' said Rep. Lois Tochtrop, D-Westminster. ''This is going to create more patronage. That's a real concern that I have.''

But Rep. Rosemary Marshall, D-Denver, endorsed the changes. ''This is a balanced approach, I think - a moderate approach to reform the civil service that can take us a long way into the 21st century,'' she said. The current rules are arcane, she said. One that allows only the three highest-scoring applicants on a test to be considered for a job often ends up shutting out women and minorities, she said. Jo Romero, president of the Colorado Federation of Public Employees, said she will urge lawmakers to reject the proposals because they would triple the number of employees not covered by civil service and would create a spoils system. ''We have yet to pinpoint anything (in the plan) that will help state employees,'' she said. Colorado Common Cause, a government watchdog organization, has not taken a formal position on the proposed legislation but has concerns, director Pete Maysmith said. ''If any proposal allows for a spoils system to creep back in, that's a concern,'' Maysmith said. Lawmakers and union officials plan more meetings to work out differences and craft legislation.

From Wyoming News, WY, 6 January 2004

Corrupting Public Policy with Campaign Cash

Before we rush full-tilt boogie into the '04 election cycle, let's hear a word from our sponsors. Yes, the good folks who pay for the campaigns of George W and most of the democratic presidential contenders should be acknowledged before next year's vote. I say we should highlight these corporate interests now, just to get a sense of who's buying what in our Land of the Free. Of course, the corporate big spenders and the politicos they purchase insist that nothing is being bought, that the corporations putting up $100,000 to a million bucks each want only "Good Government." If you believe that, Pollyanna, you should check out something called "Internal Political Party Documents" at this website: www.campaignlegalcenter.org. Here you'll find the smoking quid pro quo between the corporate contributors and the poltical contributees of both parties. For example, there's a letter from the Republican party chairman to the drug giant Bristol-Myers Squibb requesting $250,000. Does the letter ask for "good government"? Not exactly - it encloses the GOP's health care proposal, asking Bristol-Myers for any changes they'd like to make!

The politico says to the CEO, "We must keep the lines of communication open if we want to continue passing legislation that will benefit your industry." There's another letter from the Republican Party's finance chairman to the chairman of Global Crossing, the corrupt telecommunications giant that, at the time, was pushing for federal ok of a merger. As an ante, Global Crossing had pledged $100,000 to the party, with a promise to hike it to $250,000 if the merger went through. Surprise - it did! So, the finance chairman wrote back to the corporate guy: "I am taking the liberty of enclosing an invoice for the additional upgrade." This corporate money is not buying "good government" and its not buying "access" - it's buying corruption. To stop it, call Public Campaign: 202-293-0222. Jim Hightower is the best-selling author of "Thieves In High Places: They've Stolen Our Country And It's Time To Take It Back," on sale now from Viking Press. For more information, visit www.jimhightower.com.

From Pulse of the Twin Cities, MN, by Jim Hightower 14 January 2004

Government Reorganization Leaves Public Servants Confused: Union

Ottawa - Efforts to reorganize some government agencies have left public servants confused, with some uncertain who their employer is, a union leader said Wednesday. Steven Hindle, head of the Professional Institute of the Public Service, said the government should have consulted its unions before announcing planned changes and a freeze on job reclassifications and the size of the public service. He said the government may be violating some contracts. "We're taking a look at it." Hindle said the government is moving employees from the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency to the new Canada Border Services Agency, but it's not clear who is shifting and who isn't. The Public Service Alliance of Canada, which represents about 150,000 federal civil servants across the country, has made similar complaints about confusion.

Nycole Turmel, alliance president, has said the union will complain to the Public Service Staff Relations Board about the customs agency transfers. Hindle said the No. 1 complaint from his 49,000 members is "they are confused." "They're complaining about not knowing what the rules are." Days after the Paul Martin government took office last month, Treasury Board President Reg Alcock announced a freeze on capital spending, on the size of the public service and on reclassifying jobs. This was done without consulting either the unions or the senior bureaucrats, Hindle said. It has left the public service in disarray. "The message from the government isn't clear." Hindle said he had high hopes for greater co-operation and dialogue after the passage last fall of a new public-service law. That hasn't happened. He said he had been planning to seek a nomination as a Liberal candidate in an Ottawa-area riding in the next election, but has abandoned that idea. The Liberals, he said, have "made some decisions that I'd have a hard time defending."

From Canoe.ca, Canada, 14 January 2004

Potlatch Announces Public-Private Partnership Protects Key Land Along Mississippi River

Linking Existing Minnesota State Park and Popular Recreation Areas - Brainerd, Minn. - Potlatch Corporation Worked with State Agencies and Nonprofit Groups to Safeguard Critical 96-Acre Tract, Marking the First Success in Broader Conservation Plan - Crow Wing State Park's outstanding natural and cultural resources will be enhanced by the State of Minnesota's recent acquisition of Mississippi river frontage linking the park with the popular Paul Bunyan Trail. Acquisition of the critical 96-acre parcel from Potlatch Corporation (NYSE:PCH), the state's largest private forestland owner, was facilitated by The Conservation Fund in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota and the Paul Bunyan Trail Association. The Conservation Fund and its partners are working with Potlatch to acquire two additional parcels, located in the popular Brainerd Lakes area of central Minnesota. If successful, the acquisitions will establish public ownership on more than two miles of Mississippi River frontage in an area under strong development pressure.

The Brainerd Lakes area is among the areas experiencing the greatest pressure as more people seek to acquire recreational property in northern Minnesota. Timber management is generally compatible with recreation and maintenance of wildlife habitat. However, the Potlatch property has unique recreational value because it adjoins two very popular recreation areas. Potlatch has and will continue to sell recreational tracts in northern Minnesota, according to Tom Murn, regional manager for Potlatch Corporation's Resource Management Division. He stressed that the company carefully selects and markets its properties. "We are very pleased that we could work with the partners in assuring that the parcel adjoining the park and trail could be acquired by the state," he noted. The Potlatch transaction is part of The Conservation Fund's effort to address conservation needs in the Mississippi River watershed. Thanks largely to support from the McKnight Foundation, The Conservation Fund has protected more than 3,000 acres in Minnesota.

Much of the land has been protected through the Fund's Mississippi River Revolving Fund, which provides conservation funding to local land trusts. "Thanks to the commitment, leadership, and foresight of Potlatch Corporation and the State of Minnesota, we're protecting an important wildlife corridor and expanding popular recreation areas," said The Conservation Fund's president, Larry Selzer. "The Conservation Fund remains committed to working with the public and private sectors to safeguard the magnificent natural treasures of the Mississippi River region." The recently acquired land and remaining two parcels contain a variety of timber and vegetation, which augment the exceptional prairie landscape and pine and hardwood forests found in Crow Wing State Park. The park is also culturally rich, containing remnants of a frontier town and a section of the old Woods Trail that served ox cart traffic and carried supplies to and from St. Paul. "With this purchase, the state has preserved the Mississippi River blufflands and expanded the recreational opportunities in the park and the surrounding area," said Teresa Thews, the Division of Parks and Recreation's real estate program coordinator. "This partnership was imperative to accomplish the DNR's land protection goals in a part of the state that is experiencing rapid growth," she said.

Conservationists are also applauding the acquisition as the long-awaited connector between the Paul Bunyan Trail and Crow Wing State Park. One of the nation's most premiere recreational trails, the Paul Bunyan trail is a 110-mile, mostly paved route beginning in the Brainerd/Baxter area. "The signature of the 110-miles of the Paul Bunyan trail is woods and waters," said the Paul Bunyan Trail Association volunteer coordinator, Terry McGaughey. "This acquisition will greatly enhance that with magnificent views of the river. I predict this trail section, when developed, will become one of its most popular segments." The Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota recently acquired a fourth parcel, 78 acres from a private landowner, between two of the Potlatch parcels. Parks & Trails also worked with the Minnesota Legislature to secure funding to acquire these and other parcels for state parks statewide. "Partnering with The Conservation Fund enabled each of us to do more," said Dorian Grilley, executive director of the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota.

The Conservation Fund, rated the top environmental organization by the American Institute of Philanthropy, acts to protect the nation's legacy of land and water resources in partnership with other organizations, public agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals. Seeking innovative conservation solutions for the 21st century, the Fund works to integrate economic and environmental goals. Since its founding in 1985, the Fund has helped to protect wildlife habitat, greenways, community "greenspace" and historic sites totaling more than 3.5 million acres throughout the nation. Potlatch Corporation is an integrated forest products company with 1.5 million acres of forestland in Idaho, Minnesota and Arkansas. The company owns 315,000 acres in Minnesota and operates lumber and panel manufacturing plants in Bemidji, Grand Rapids and Cook. Potlatch employs about 700 in the state. This news release contains, in addition to historical information, certain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Potlatch Corporation management's best estimates and assumptions regarding future events, and are therefore subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. The company's actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

From Business Wire (press release), 21 January 2004

Industrial Park Sparks Partnership Interest

A Charlotte company advising the county on how to best market the county-owned industrial park, Summit Corporate Center, is apparently interested in a partnership. County Manager Tim Russell said The Keith Corp., specialists in commercial real estate, has indicated an interest in a partnership similar to what it now has with Lincoln County. Russell said the company is willing to put money into the project, including building speculative buildings, and handle marketing for the whole park. Founded in 1989, Keith Corp. is a full-service commercial real estate firm operating throughout North America. Clients include multinational Fortune 500 corporations. Summit Corporate Center, at the intersection of Interstate 85 and Julian Road, has nearly 600 acres, including 200 acres in Phase 1. Started in 1995, it was originally designed for big box industries looking for large tracts. It remains mostly vacant. On Tuesday morning, Russell asked for directions from the Board of Commissioners, whether to discuss a partnership with Keith Corp. or go forward with plans to seek marketing proposals from brokers. Previously, commissioners had turned down a proposal to use the front section of the park for commercial development.

At that time, the board asked Russell to look at ways to improve the park and possibly seek proposals from real estate brokers to sell the park. Russell said the discussion of a possible partnership came about during a meeting of a group looking at ways to "spruce up" the park. In a brief discussion, three commissioners indicated they would like to tour the industrial park in Lincoln County and hear a presentation from Keith Corporation. Vice Chairman Frank Tadlock said it would be helpful to see the park and suggested that Belk and Tadlock coordinate the trip. Two commissioners who have steadfastly advocated staying the course, keeping the park for high-end industries and business, Steve Blount and Chairman Gus Andrews, indicated little interest in visiting the Lincoln park. "One park looks like another," said Blount, who prefers a presentation from the manager at the next meeting. "Somebody coming to the table with money ... put a different perspective," said Andrews, who has previously opposed marketing concepts that included a mix of commercial development.

Andrews indicated he is intrigued by the public-private partnership. Russell said Keith Corp. has built on county land in Lincoln park and on some private land and is marketing both. Belk asked how that differs from the county's arrangement with Atlantic American Properties. The Kannapolis-based company has a 100,000-square-foot shell building on county land in Summit. Despite high hopes at the outset, the building has not sold. Russell said Keith Corp. would have much greater incentive to market the park, adding that the Atlantic American building is "overpriced and under built." Following commissioners' meeting Tuesday, Russell said officials will arrange a tour of the Lincoln County park. And following that, commissioners will decide if they want to hear a presentation from Keith Corp. on a partnership. A representative of Keith Corp. volunteered to serve on the panel with architect Bill Burgin and builder Bill Wagoner, along with some county officials. Wagoner's firm built the Atlantic American building, and Burgin designed the signs. Russell said the committee recommended improvements for cleaning up the park for a cost of around $100,000. The committee also recommended improvements to the signage.

From Salisbury Post, NC, 21 January 2004

U.S. Pushes Campaign on Global Corruption

Ashcroft, in Davos, touts gains in Iraq - Davos, Switzerland - One year after he faced a broad wave of anti-American sentiment here, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft returned Thursday to the World Economic Forum in this Alpine village to say America was winning the war on terrorism and to promote a new campaign to assail global corruption. Ashcroft was the most senior U.S. official to address the annual forum as Washington seeks to swing international opinion behind its vision of a transfer of political authority in Iraq. Vice President Dick Cheney is also expected to attend the gathering. At his previous appearance in January 2003, just weeks before the invasion of Iraq, Ashcroft and others, including Secretary of State Colin Powell, confronted business and political leaders whose mood varied from skepticism to hostility toward America's military intentions in the Middle East.

Ashcroft also faced wide criticism of the harsh measures he had taken to combat terrorism. "I didn't come back to Davos because I haven't been able to find any hostility in Washington, D.C.," Ashcroft joked at a lunch gathering, apparently referring to questioning in the United States about the extent to which civil liberties have been subjugated to security measures taken in the name of pre-empting terror attacks. At this year's meeting, the mood is more muted and diffuse, focusing on an array of economic and business uncertainties. But there were some important leaders who challenged the results of America's war on terrorism and its campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. The war in Iraq, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan said at a conference session, "complicated the already tense situation in which the world found itself," with many Muslims resenting the way their cause was being depicted and feeling a "deep sense of injustice and powerlessness." "The world became a very dangerous place to live," Musharraf said.

Ashcroft had a more positive message. "We are winning the war against terrorism," he said, insisting that despite criticism of his record, Washington was respecting civil rights "at the highest level possible." He was referring specifically to questioners who challenged the Bush administration's decision to detain people as "enemy combatants" with no access to lawyers or legal support. But Ashcroft alluded to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to say that America was at war, giving Washington the right to seize its foes. "Nations when they are attacked have a right to detain individuals that are attacking them," he said. "When you're conducting a war - and we are still at war - you expect the executive to conduct the war." Decisions to detain people, he said, are "based on significant evidence and made by the president of the United States. It is not based on a whim. We are respecting liberties at the highest level possible to make these judgments."

Apart from over 600 prisoners held at the U.S. naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, human rights groups have also challenged three people held in the United States, whom the Bush administration calls "enemy combatants." "The real question is, Were these just the test cases," said Kenneth Roth, executive director for Human Rights Watch in New York. "Are these just the test cases, and how will the administration behave if these test cases are approved? Will this be the tip of the iceberg?" Ashcroft said that in the past the United States had called on nations to fight terrorism. "Today we need to expand our efforts to fight corruption," he said. He underlined that he was referring to official corruption in governments rather than the kind of corporate malfeasance that led to major scandals in American and European corporations like Enron, Tyco and Parmalat. He called official corruption a "contagion that cannot be contained by borders" and urged international combat against it through strong political leadership, cooperation and transparency, meaning a readiness by governments to inform people honestly about its actions. "Information is the enemy of corruption," he said. "Corruption cannot flourish in the light of day."

From International Herald Tribune, France, by Alan Cowell, 23 January 2004

Strive to Win Battle Against Corruption, Government Urged

The Federal Government has been advised to strive to win the battle against corruption in the country as the only means to attract Nigerian experts based in abroad to return and join in the process of nation-building. A Nigerian Consultant Structural Engineer based in the United States of America, Dr. Nonso Mojekwu who gave the advice in Nnewi Anambra State on Wednesday said corruption was the root of the ills bedevilling the country and stalling its development. Fielding questions from the DAILY TIMES in his family home, Mojekwu who was in the town to attend the 50th anniversary of his parents' wedding, said many Nigerian experts abroad would have loved to come home but were frightened by that government business had been paralysed by corruption. "Lack of infrastructure, insecurity of life and property, and other ills of the country are traceable to corruption and until this is eradicated no one would want to risk certainties for uncertainties," he said. He advised government to embark on massive training of the children and youth to love their country, adding that for government to overcome the lack of infrastructure, money budgeted for projects must be tied to such projects.

Mojekwu also said one of the biggest problems in the country was the dearth of the middle class "which is the class that produces for any nation." He feared that should his counterparts return to the country, they would not have professional fulfilment, pointing out that those of them who once came back left again in frustration. Asked how the country's image was like now, Mojekwu said it had improved. But he quickly added that Nigeria was not practising democracy yet but a semblance of it. Said he: "The image of the country is not as bad as it used to be, it is a little better than what it used to be. It has some semblance of democracy. I am hoping that as we go through the process, we will learn more of what democracy is." He, however, said some Nigerians were stuck to the United States because they chose to having decided to close the bad side of America. "The United States has a lot of good and bad, so there is everything available so that you chose between the good and the bad."

From Daily Times of Nigeria, by Chukwujekwu Ilozue, 2 January 2004

Anti-corruption Body Probing Fam's Boss

Will there be any breathing space for Football Association of Malawi (Fam) president Sameer Suleman? As Sports Council is piling pressure on the new Fam boss and four of his lieutenants to leave office, the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has launched investigations into allegations that Suleman offered K500s (about $5) to some affiliates to influence them vote for him during the recent Fam elections. ACB Director Justice Michael Mtegha confirmed on Wednesday that the bureau had started probing into Suleman's issue. "Yes, we have started the investigations …(but) I don't know how far we have gone because I have been out in the field and have not been briefed by the officers handling the investigations," said Mtegha." Suleman, however, said he was not aware that he was under the ACB's probe. "I don't know anything. I haven't been summoned nor asked. I am readily available and when they come to me, I will answer them," said Suleman," who did not want to talk much on the issue. According to sources in the Central Region, a number of football officials have already been called in to testify by the ACB.

The Fam president is alleged to have offered K500s to some members from Fam central region affiliates after he had drove to Lilongwe with another Fam member Raphael Humba, who campaigned for the removal of a close in the Fam hand book which says aspirants for Fam executive positions should posses Malawi Schools Certificate of Education, (MSCE) or its equivalent. While confirming that he met the affiliates, Suleman denied offering them with any bribes. He said he only assisted those, who had asked for transport money from him. But some of the members present, including Malawi Football Coaches Association, (MFCA) general secretary Peterkins Kayira told Nation Online that Suleman offered the money out of his own will. The ACB investigations have come fast on the heels of another issue involving MSCE certificates, which has seen Council asking Suleman, his two deputies Anderson Zimba and Steve Msambila and executive members Peter Chavula and Humba to vacate Fam, having failed to produce the certificates.

Meanwhile, reports indicate the testimonial that Suleman presented during the Mzuzu Extra Ordinary General Meeting belonged to his brother Gaffar. But Suleman, who is insisting that he holds the Form Four certificate, dismissed the reports, saying the name Gaffar appears on the testimonial because it is his father's name. "I am with Humba right now, can he read for you what is on my testimonial." According to what Humba read, the testimonial bore the name Sameer Gaffar Suleman and was obtained from Central High School on 14.08.94. Should it be established that Suleman presented his brother's certificate, he risks answering a charge of impersonation, according to Law Society of Malawi spokesman Charles Mhango.,Will there be any breathing space for Football Association of Malawi (Fam) president Sameer Suleman? As Sports Council is piling pressure on the new Fam boss and four of his lieutenants to leave office, the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has launched investigations into allegations that Suleman offered K500s (about $5) to some affiliates to influence them vote for him during the recent Fam elections.

ACB Director Justice Michael Mtegha confirmed on Wednesday that the bureau had started probing into Suleman's issue. "Yes, we have started the investigations …(but) I don't know how far we have gone because I have been out in the field and have not been briefed by the officers handling the investigations," said Mtegha." Suleman, however, said he was not aware that he was under the ACB's probe. "I don't know anything. I haven't been summoned nor asked. I am readily available and when they come to me, I will answer them," said Suleman," who did not want to talk much on the issue. According to sources in the Central Region, a number of football officials have already been called in to testify by the ACB. The Fam president is alleged to have offered K500s to some members from Fam central region affiliates after he had drove to Lilongwe with another Fam member Raphael Humba, who campaigned for the removal of a close in the Fam hand book which says aspirants for Fam executive positions should posses Malawi Schools Certificate of Education, (MSCE) or its equivalent. While confirming that he met the affiliates, Suleman denied offering them with any bribes.

He said he only assisted those, who had asked for transport money from him. But some of the members present, including Malawi Football Coaches Association, (MFCA) general secretary Peterkins Kayira told Nation Online that Suleman offered the money out of his own will. The ACB investigations have come fast on the heels of another issue involving MSCE certificates, which has seen Council asking Suleman, his two deputies Anderson Zimba and Steve Msambila and executive members Peter Chavula and Humba to vacate Fam, having failed to produce the certificates. Meanwhile, reports indicate the testimonial that Suleman presented during the Mzuzu Extra Ordinary General Meeting belonged to his brother Gaffar. But Suleman, who is insisting that he holds the Form Four certificate, dismissed the reports, saying the name Gaffar appears on the testimonial because it is his father's name. "I am with Humba right now, can he read for you what is on my testimonial." According to what Humba read, the testimonial bore the name Sameer Gaffar Suleman and was obtained from Central High School on 14.08.94. Should it be established that Suleman presented his brother's certificate, he risks answering a charge of impersonation, according to Law Society of Malawi spokesman Charles Mhango.

From The Nation, Malawi, Malawi, by Leonard Sharra, 7 January 2004

N. West Government Urges People to Fight Corruption

Pretoria - The North West Government has urged people to become its eyes and ears by exposing any form of corruption or suspected mismanagement in the province. The provincial government encourages the public to use the toll free number, 0800 202 2591, launched last year, to report corruption and fraud. Government launched the number to enable people to report fraud and corruption while at the same time protecting the identity of whistleblowers. Since its inception, 18 cases of corruption have been reported through the hotline and eight of them are still being investigation. "People must expose those who use their positions in government and the public service to enrich themselves, their friends or relatives through illegal and corrupt means", said North West Premier Popo Molefe, adding that corruption is a threat to the country's promising democracy.

Premier Molefe said corruption had the greatest impact on poor people and it retards development because resources meant for the poor are diverted to the pockets of individuals. "Corruption affects government's capacity to deliver services to its citizens and to ensure sustainable development", said Premier Molefe. "We must ensure that the culture of corruption, secrecy and lack of accountability inherited from the apartheid past is not entrenched in our new democracy," he said. "We must build a culture of integrity and clean governance." Last year, more than 52 cases involving R35 million were reported for investigations and 19 cases were referred to the Directorate for Public Prosecutions.

From AllAfrica.com, Africa, by Edwin Tshivhidzo, 7 January 2004

Fighting Corruption Isn't for the Faint-Hearted

Lusaka - We have stated before that the fight against corruption is not for the faint-hearted, it is a war. The people who plundered the resources of this country are heartless men and women who are willing to do anything to keep their ill-gotten gain. It will not do for President Levy Mwanawasa to tread softly as though he were walking on eggshells. He declared the war and he should be willing to fight it decisively. Those conversant with the art of war will agree that it is not possible to follow a General whose trumpet has an uncertain or indeed, a hesitant sound. The Zambian people will bear witness that we have long complained about this particular Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) - Mukelabai Mukelabai. Finally the truth has been laid bare; he is actually on the other side. How else will you explain the DPP having a meeting with the chief accused in the most sensational legal case in Zambia, a case which he has been bungling? Let us keep in mind that this is the same accused who was acquitted on the DPP's watch, is it any wonder? Now one might wonder: did the benefits of whatever nature that the DPP must have obtained trickle down to the State Advocates who were so willing to vouch for his integrity? Or is it just a case of blind loyalty by our learned colleagues? If that was the case, now that the truth has come out, the Zambian people deserve a statement of their position on the DPP in light of the recent candid revelation.

However, the cardinal question on the Zambian people's minds is, what is the stand of the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs - George Kunda? We recall that at his press briefing two days ago, he said Mukelabai was under his protection, whatever that meant. We suggest, nay we demand, he follows his protégé because either he is on the other side or he does not understand that the country is at war with the plunderers. Either way, there is no place for Kunda in the fight against corruption. His presence in this fight would render it a farce. The litmus test for President Mwanawasa as to whether he is the General that the Zambian masses need to lead them in this fight for their lives is whether he will drop Kunda. Even if, as we have stated earlier, he is not on the other side, he must be what was called in Operation Desert Storm 'Collateral Damage'. He stood by the DPP even at the time we pointed out that the prosecution of Chiluba was becoming a farce.

Indeed it is true as the state advocates say, the DPP is not incompetent, he was simply acting in accord with the instructions of his masters who are neither President Mwanawasa nor the people of Zambia as we have found out. For those who were looking for a motive for his inconsistent behaviour, they need not look any further. Kunda must pay the price for having stood by him. If he was an honourable man, he would resign on his own accord, but we know that would be asking for too much from the man who desperately needs that job. On the other hand, the people of Zambia wait to see if the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of Zambia is bold enough to take the inevitable decision to drop his Attorney General and not flounder as usual and wait for events to force him into the inevitable decision. We know, and respect, the fact that Kunda is a very close personal friend of President Mwanawasa and it is not easy to part with friends. But what is at stake is not a personal matter for President Mwanawasa; it is a serious national challenge. And in such matters personal relationships should never be the primary concern. The Zambians await a certain trumpet call from the General as he leads them onward in this fight to the end.

From Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic, 9 January 2004

President Committed to Fight Corruption - Prez Spokesman

Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, Presidential Spokesman, on Wednesday dismissed views by critics that President John Agyekum Kufuor has not shown much commitment to the declaration of zero tolerance for corruption. "Mr. Kufuor's administration has taken prominent measures to sanitize public financial management systems, which is the bedrock of corruption", a statement from the Office of the Press Secretary said in Accra. Mr. Agyepong in the statement said President Kufuor's stance was evidenced in his exemplary, accessible and opened leadership coupled with pragmatic steps he had taken to enhance fair practices in public administration and office.

The statement said apart from enhancing the operational capacity of state institutions in checking corruption, Kufuor's administration has been able to put in place the repeal of the criminal libel law, the passage of the freedom of information act, Bank of Ghana Act, the establishment of a Revenue Agencies Governing board among others to serve as checks on corruption. The statement requested critics of Kufuor's administration not to discount the benefits of the repeal of the criminal libel law has had on the economic, governance and transparent public service, which has made the media more empowered to scrutinize the use of state resources and finances in a productive way. It also challenged corruption observers to evaluate President Kufuor's commitment in light of his honest effort at empowering and providing resource to criminal investigative bodies within the three years of NPP administration.

From GhanaWeb, Ghana, 14 January 2004

Lawmakers Diagnose Causes of Corruption, Want Minimum Salary At L$4,000

Monrovia - The leadership of the National Transitional Legislative Assembly (NTLA) has diagnosed several causes of corruption within the Country, naming low salaries for civil servants as a major factor for corruption. Accordingly, the Legislators want L$4,000 as the least pay in Government to ensure that civil servants are not corrupt. Their diagnoses and recommendations were made at a three-day workshop last Friday at the Public Affairs Auditorium of the United States Embassy in Mamba Point, Monrovia. Setting as the bases for their recommendations at the end of the workshop, the Lawmakers said the lack of education and understanding of government, dishonesty and greed, lack of accountability and the lack of commitment have been responsible for rampant corruption in the Country. Consequently, Transitional Legislators made a five-point recommendation to curb the lack of education and understanding of government. Amongst the recommendations, they said there should be persistent workshops by relevant institutions such as the Liberian Institute of Public Administration (LIPA) and partners of the Liberian Government to educate public officials on the function of Government. "Besides, civil education should be taught in all schools and that the LIPA should be supported by the Commission on Good Governance," the Legislators maintained.

They indicated how placement test should also be a pre-requisite for the employment of civil servants, and that there should be a vigorous media campaign to create awareness that appointment in government is service oriented and not intended for self-enrichment. The Legislators also recommended that punitive measures be meted to officials or employees dismissed for corruption. They agreed that dismissing someone in the absence of judicial action to serve as deterrent would not help to curb corruption from the society. They also expressed the need for government to establish an anti-corruption commission. Besides, the NTLA members spoke against the lack of accountability, and proposed an expenditure and public account committee in the Legislature and said there is a need for the Bureau of Audit to be placed under the Legislature for the purpose of check and balance. All major contracts between government or the State and private companies and concessions should be ratified, they opined. But they maintained that the underpayment of civil servants was the major cause of corruption and said the least salary should be L$4,000. The Lawmakers recalled that the least salary for civil servants had ranged between US$100 and US$250, saying they cannot see why civil servants are not paid the value of that amount in Liberian currency today.

Civil servants' salary, they observed, is so low that it cannot buy them a bag of rice, pay their children's school fees and at the same time cater to their spouses. "Because of this, those in civil service are bent on squandering public funds to ensure that they meet their goals in life", the lawmakers argued. On the other hand, they said the merit system should be enforced in government and that economic benefits such as transportation fares and other incentives should be given to ensure that public servants are not corrupt in the performance of their duties to the detriment of the state. According to them, they said they were willing to enact these recommendations into law if AIESEC would sent them forward to the Legislature in the form of petition. AIESEC is a student exchange foundation. The group said the workshop was intended to conscientize the Lawmakers on the rampant wave of corruption in the society so as to find a way out. The workshop discussed the ills in the society and traced reasons to the vicious circle of violence in the society amongst others. Amongst participants of Lawmakers at the workshop were Nelson Wah Barh of the NTLA Information and Broadcasting Committee, George D. Moore of the Good Governance & Government Reform Committee, Josephus S. Dokie of the Public Works Committee, Za wolo Z. Zuagele of the Rural Development , Prince G. Toe of the National Security Committee and Harrison Sleweon of the Lands, Natural Resources and the Environment Committee.

From AllAfrica.com, Africa, by Bill K. Jarkloh, 14 January 2004

Mugabe Promises Corruption Crackdown

Harare - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has promised the government will deal firmly with corrupt financial institutions involved in an upsurge of fraud, the official Herald newspaper says. "We will not allow lawbreakers and corrupt characters to get away with their illegal activities. We will deal with them," the paper quoted Mugabe as saying after donating computers to a school in the central town of Kadoma. Zimbabwe is mired in an economic crisis widely blamed on mismanagement by Mugabe's government. Analysts say he may crack down on corruption, within his ZANU-PF party and elsewhere, to boost ZANU-PF's chances in a parliamentary election next year. A Harare magistrate was due to rule on Wednesday on a bail application by a businessman and senior ZANU-PF member arrested on Saturday on charges of interfering with a major fraud probe.

Lawyers for Philip Chiyangwa, a ZANU-PF legislator and provincial chairman, said his arrest had been engineered by political opponents amid feuding over who should succeed Mugabe if he stands down as party leader. Local media have over the past year reported splits within ZANU-PF as debate intensifies over a successor for Mugabe, who turns 80 in February and has hinted he could be ready to retire. Police suspect Chiyangwa of withholding vehicles key to investigations into allegations that two directors of the asset management firm ENG Capital cheated investors of billions of dollars. State prosecutors say the directors used the money to source foreign currency from the black market to import personal vehicles. Chiyangwa has denied any wrongdoing. Authorities have accused financial institutions of driving a black market where U.S. dollars fetch up to five times the official rate against the local dollar.

The central bank has warned of a crackdown on speculative trade in the sector. "Right now there are companies which handle people's money, but they sell the people's money...to buy U.S. dollars, pounds and rands which they sell at high prices. This is what caused the shortage of money and prices to go up. It was the work of thieves," the Herald quoted Mugabe as saying. Chiyangwa, a champion of the government's black economic empowerment drive, says he intervened in the ENG matter merely to ensure a political and legal settlement that did not harm the programme. Mugabe denies his government has brought a thriving economy to its knees, arguing it has been sabotaged by local and Western opponents of his seizure of white-owned farms for redistribution among landless blacks.

From Reuters, UK, 14 January 2004

Check Official Corruption in Ministries - ASCSN

As government intensifies its efforts at ridding the country of corrupt practices, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has urged the Federal Government to curtail the fraudulent acts being perpetrated by officials in some ministries. It also expressed disappointment at the refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow its workers unionise. The union argued if not checked official corruption in ministries would create more problems and rubbish government's anti-corruption crusade. ASCSN in a statement issued at the end of its national delegates conference in Lagos and signed by its Secretary-General, Solomon Onaghinon said keeping the salaries and allowances of workers in private bank accounts with the ulterior aim of getting interest smacks of corruption at its worst.

Said ASCSN: "The conference in addition, called on the Federal Government to check the fraudulent action in some ministries where some management staff were in the habit of depositing salaries and allowances of workers under them in private bank account for many months." According to ASCSN, the development had the potent danger of rubbishing the anti-corruption crusade of government and creating serious and destructive social crises for many families. Part of the measures to check the trend, according to the union, is by putting in place a system that would guarantee the prompt payment of pensions and accord them respect and dignity. While expressing dismay at the recalcitrant posture of INEC towards the unionisation of its workers, the ASCSN recalled that the trade union Act did not exempt INEC staff from being unionised. The commission, it posited, is betraying the reasons for its very existence for such anti-unionisation rigidity.

From Daily Times of Nigeria, Nigeria, 19 January 2004

Zanu Pf-Induced Anarchy: Root Cause of Corruption

Harare - Every so often in the course of human history, there comes an opportunity for serious introspection. Recent upheavals in the country's troubled economy, culminating in arrests of company directors, insurance executives, court officials, lawyers, and as the icing on the cake, one very pompous legislator as well as the dismissal of Trust Bank's three top directors, may well be that moment for Zimbabwe. Evidently, what has so far emerged seems to be a mere tip of the iceberg. This is indeed a massive iceberg straddling the length and breadth of Zimbabwe, the extent of which still remains to be unearthed. Media coverage of the arrests, however, only describes the scale, albeit tiny, rather than explain the depth and extent of corruption as the principal method by which the Zimbabwean political and economic elite have used to accumulate wealth and status at the expense of the people of Zimbabwe. The victims of this shameless scramble for the spoils (corruption) are, needless to say, the people of this country. The pursuit of spoils is not only taking place in government, the army, the civil service but also in the private sector as a whole.

As it now emerges, it has been particularly blatant in the financial sector but the point must still be made that this pursuit is now a widespread phenomenon permeating all strata among politicians, bureaucrats and business people. Just as businessmen come up in all shapes and sizes, so does corruption. So do politicians and bureaucrats. It is common parlance that it takes two or more people to create corruption. Corruption in Zimbabwe has become so blatant as a result of the breakdown of the rule of law. We are now paying a preposterous price for Zanu PF-induced anarchy where people do as they wish. It is this atmosphere of chaos and lawlessness created by President Mugabe and the ruling party in the name of politics that has bred a class of arrogant people who think they can take the law into their own hands while the police, the supposed guardians and custodians of law and order stand by and watch the country descending into barbarism. It was predictable that sooner or later the country would begin to pay the price for the lawlessness so created and the consequent degrading scramble for land and other resources.

Instead of being able to use the newly-acquired resources for long-term productive goals, the ill-gotten gains were dissipated into wasteful things like cars, mansions and lavish holidays. The enormous price the mass of ordinary Zimbabweans have been called upon to pay by their exploiters is devastating. Massive unemployment, shortages of all kinds and unaffordable prices of basic commodities. Widespread suffering now stalks the land. And for almost four years now, the police consistently refused or lacked the will to stem the corruption using the lame excuse that the crimes were political. This is a strange excuse that would never find currency in a normal democracy. The Zimbabwe Republic Police needs to be constantly reminded that in a free society, there is no such thing as a political crime - still less a political crime too sensitive to investigate. Crimes committed in the name of politics or indeed any other name such as black empowerment or indigenization are still crimes and should de dealt with professionally irrespective of who commits them.

That is why people are asking why now when the struggle for spoils has been going on for four years now. Why this sudden clamp down on corruption as if it has just fallen from hell. Where were the powers that be all along? We have all been impoverished by Mugabe's policies and inaction for years -Why now? Be that as it may, the point must be made as they say, in every dark cloud there is a silver lining. At least something has begun to happen. The story of corruption is beginning to unfold in the public domain. Much time is being taken up at work places, homes, bars and buses with people fervently discussing recent developments, which in itself is a good thing. Whether Zanu PF is ready, willing and able to go the whole way to the point of destroying itself, only time will tell. For it is no exaggeration to say that Zanu PF is synonymous with corruption. If indeed the gloves are off now, is it going to be rough on everybody? Will the ruling party go a step further and allow the establishment of an independent Anti-Corruption Commission given the increasing corruption in the country?

The police have been partisan all along when they were required to be above party politics. Is this the beginning of a process of the police becoming once again a non-partisan force? Is Zanu PF capable of reforming itself to that extent or do we have to wait for a new democratic dispensation for the police force to be overhauled or purged before anything resembling law and order can be restored? Moral exhortation and admonition by President Mugabe is not enough. Politics is power and very few people would give up power easily. President Mugabe is the last person we expect to do that. This effectively means that the role of the media is very crucial in the fight against corruption. So is the importance of civil society in this important battle. Regardless of who or what they are, whether politicians, bureaucrats or businessmen, corrupt people must be called to account. What goes up using corrupt means must come down with a thud. And this paper will continue shining its lamp into those dark corners that corrupt people would rather remain dark.

From AllAfrica.com, Africa, 19 January 2004

State to Clamp Down On Corruption

Harare - The Government, through its law enforcement agents will bring to book all economic saboteurs regardless of their political, economic or social standing, the Minister of Home Affairs, Cde Kembo Mohadi, has said. Cde Mohadi said his ministry had a duty to execute a directive issued by President Mugabe at the Zanu-PF People's Conference in Masvingo last month to clamp down on all corrupt individuals irrespective of their political standing or influence. President Mugabe told conference delegates that greedy businesspeople posed a major threat to the country's economy through their illicit activities, which border on sabotage. He said besides the directive, law enforcement agents had a duty bestowed on them by various Acts of Parliament to maintain law and order and protect the country's citizens. Cde Mohadi said following the unraveling of the ENG Capital Asset Management saga, it was now apparent that the corrupt businesspeople involved in the shady deals had a hand in the foreign currency and cash shortages that have wreaked havoc on the economy.

He said there were also indications that corruption in the financial services sector was wider than what had been anticipated. ENG was forced to close its doors at the end of last year when it could not pay creditors billions of dollars that it owed. "The case will show that we are out to destroy all the corruption taking place in Zimbabwe. We want to bring sanity to the financial services sector and it does not matter whether one is well connected in business or politics, everyone will be brought to justice." He said President Mugabe said no stone should be left unturned in investigating economic sabotage and his ministry was out to carry the assignment to its conclusion. Cde Mohadi took the opportunity to dismiss claims that Harare businessman and Member of Parliament for Chinhoyi Philip Chiyangwa's arrest in connection with the ENG saga was politically motivated saying the legislator committed a crime by trying to hinder police investigations and misrepresenting himself in court. Chiyangwa's lawyers claimed in court submissions last week that his arrest was related to the succession debate in Zanu-PF. "There is no truth in that claim. Chiyangwa told the courts that he had taken the cars for safe keeping and also tried to solve the matter out of court but how do you solve fraud out of the courts?" the minister asked.

He said most of the cars were also recovered from the parliamentarian's associates after a long struggle. Cde Mohadi said suggestions that police ignored a High Court order setting the release of Chiyangwa from remand prison were also ill-informed. "The order cited the Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri who was on leave, the second respondent was the Officer Commanding Harare and we have so many officers with that title. So it is not true that police did not obey the order and the fact is that people who say that are not conversant with the technicalities involved," he said. He expressed concern at the increasing backlog of cases at the country's courts, which he said, would result in the miscarriage of justice. Cde Mohadi said police were also concerned with the tendency by the courts to grant bail to undeserving criminals. "We have this case of a lawyer who misrepresented himself to a magistrate and the concerned law officers did not take the trouble to verify with the Attorney-General's Office before granting a suspect bail and that cannot be allowed to happen,' he said. "And those who were involved in the case have since been arrested and they will be brought to justice."

Police, like other ordinary Zimbabweans have also been negatively affected by the poor performance of the economy. The minister said the poor economic situation was putting constraints to adequate and efficient policing in the country. "Like all institutions in the country we have constraints and we are going through a very difficult economic phase. Our mobility has been greatly affected as we cannot get to places where crime was committed on time," he said. "We also have social problems such as the shortage of accommodation for our officers. The ministry is working very hard to address all these problems and that will be achieved as long as the public supports us." Cde Mohadi said Zimbabweans should understand that the police could only effectively discharge their duties with their support through the voluntary sharing of information.

The technological evolution over the decades has also given police new challenges such as tackling cyber crime and other complicated criminal activities, he said. Cde Mohadi said although some of the sophisticated criminal activities were not anticipated such as the forgery of cheques, certificates and other documents through the use of computers, Zimbabwean police had risen to the occasion through interacting with their regional counterparts. Last year, Zimbabwe chaired the Southern Africa Regional Police Organisation and Cde Mohadi said this enabled his ministry and the police to tour almost all-Southern African countries where a lot was learnt and adopted. Zimbabwe is also a signatory of several international conventions and protocols on crime prevention and co-operation and is a member of Interpol. "The ministry is also working with other Southern African countries in fighting cross border crime and all our operations have been very successful," he said.

From AllAfrica.com, Africa, 19 January 2004

Anti-Corruption Commission Bill Drafted

Harare - The much-awaited Anti-Corruption Commission Bill, which seeks to establish a commission that will fight against graft in all sectors of the country's economy, has been drafted and is now awaiting Cabinet approval before it goes to Parliament for debate. The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Cde Patrick Chinamasa, yesterday confirmed the Bill was ready. "It is in the process of going to Cabinet," he said. "We have to wait until Cabinet sits so that it is discussed." The Government adopted principles of the Bill last year following the launch of the National Economic Revival Programme, which has a number of sectoral measures to revive the economy. The measures include the setting up of an anti-corruption commission that the Bill would establish. In the economic revival programme document, the Government notes that corruption has become a serious concern in both the public and private sectors and would cost the economy if unchecked.

The provision for the establishment of the commission is set out in Section 108 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe as amended in 2000. The Government has of late been fighting illegal and corrupt activities blamed for the economic problems the country is facing. Within the last few weeks, the police arrested court officials, lawyers, company directors, a lawmaker and insurance executives for corrupt activities. Trust Bank's three top directors were dismissed over mismanagement. Some of the shady deals unearthed by the police include the ENG saga that has resulted in the arrest of two directors of the asset management company. Chinhoyi Member of Parliament Philip Chiyangwa was also arrested for attempting to protect the two youthful directors. The Anti-Corruption Commission would combat corruption, theft, misappropriation, abuse of power and other improprieties in the conduct of affairs in both the public and private sectors.

From AllAfrica.com, Africa, 21 January 2004

Hefer Commission Stands the Transparency Test

Pretoria - The much publicised Hefer Commission of Inquiry, charged with looking into allegations of whether National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka was an apartheid agent, might have come and gone, but one thing is certain, the Commission has lent a hand in further entrenching transparency, public accountability and openness in the country's democracy. Matome Sebelebele writes that the commission not only sparked public debate but further put flesh to certain Constitutional principles aimed at deepening and supporting democracy as the nation celebrates a decade of freedom. Chapter nine states that "no person or organ of state may interfere with the functioning of (state institutions that seek to strengthen the constitutional democracy in the republic)." Chapter ten of the Constitution, further expands on basic values and principles governing public administration, prescribes that public administration ought to be transparent. "Transparency must be fostered by providing the public with timely, accessible and accurate information," it says. The same section also demands that the public administration, including public officials "must be accountable "for their actions or inactions." The question arises then, how far did the Hefer Commission live up to these well-enshrined Constitutional principles?

The Public Service Commission (PSC), an independent body that monitors, evaluates and investigates the administration of the public service, believes that the Hefer Commission was "a perfect illustration of (Constitutional) values." In an exclusive interview with BuaNews, PSC chairperson Professor Stan Sangweni concedes that the Hefer Commission had succeeded in giving life to some of the principles enshrined in the Constitution, saying public hearings are "an appropriate" constitutional and democratic tool to deal with matters of such public and national interest, against the head of an institution that was set-up to help in upholding democracy. Prof Sangweni explains that the Commission was not only transparent in its interpretation and application of constitutional principles in its broadcast of the public hearings, but also through the witnesses who came to give evidence, as well as non-interference from high profile officials and state organs. "The President did not have any knowledge of the kind of people (the witnesses) who will come to give evidence, and indeed, the people who made allegations were free to call anybody to come and give evidence. That is transparency.

Nobody actually said: 'listen, don't call so and so,'" says Prof Sangweni. He believes the Commission had gone a long way in entrenching a hard fought constitutional democracy as well as succeeding in putting under the spotlight and scrutinising senior public officials. Prof Sangweni asserts that public hearings of such a nature have provided the electorate and the public with an opportunity to understand the way the administration is run by lifting the lid on governance. "It has placed on the table all aspects of information about the subject, about the National Director of Public Prosecutions. This is a very senior position and we have the right, in terms of our Constitution, to know who he is and that we have come to know. Only ten years ago, it would not have been possible to know that,' he affirmed. "This, to me will clearly be a milestone in terms of enhancing our democracy and the transparency and accountability aspect of our democracy." He argues that the incumbent government is more open and transparent than the previous regime, with the public more at liberty to use parliamentary legislation such as the Promotion of Access to Information Act, to access information, which is in the possession of the state.

Prof Sangweni believes the Hefer Commission has moved the country into the frontlines in terms of public accountability, transparency and openness that is unmatched anywhere on the continent. "Without any fear of contradiction, very unequivocally, I should say, we in South Africa rate certainly amongst the best in Africa in the areas of transparency, however not withstanding the pitfalls. I will be very naïve to say that we have achieved all that needs to be. "But, the very fact that we (the public) are able to debate and discuss these issues of transparency in public, that in itself is a top score," asserts Prof Sangweni. Comparatively speaking, he adds, South Africa also does not fall far behind developed countries such as Sweden, which have experimented with transparency legislation laws over 250 years, but still place restrictions on some of their information, especially on policies. He believes such openness and public transparency comes with a particular level of socio-political and economic development within the nation.

He contends if such allegations occurred in any other country, it would have been cause for instability. "If you look at these issues that are of concern (in the Hefer Commission), elsewhere in other countries this could have been cause for instability," he says. He however calls on the populace and the media to be more careful in the manner they handle unfounded and damaging allegations that affect governance and public administration. "We are building a State that should attain social and political stability but we are still far from that, so within those limits, the extent to which we can at the same time grow and deepen transparency, lets do so." President Mbeki also believes transparency ought to be the cornerstone of public administration, especially if "the person holding the office, is manifestly of constitutional significance and indubitably of public importance," as he stated in a letter he wrote to judge Hefer this week. "I thought that the best way to address this requirement would be to appoint a Judicial Commission of Inquiry. I remain convinced that this (commission) was the way to proceed," he explained, referring to the reasoning behind the setting up of the Hefer Commission.

During his handing over of the report to Justice and Constitutional Development Minister, Penuell Maduna, last week, Judge Hefer disputed comments that the probing of allegations was not in the public interest but rather that of the ruling party and should not have come to the Commission. "We are dealing here with a person who is in charge of all the public prosecutions on behalf of the State in the country...any allegations that are made which impact on the performing of his duties and the very question that he is abusing his powers, I cannot see it being disposed in any other way than by way of a public inquiry," Judge Hefer told reporters. In his letter to Hefer, accepting the report's findings that said that Mr Ngcuka was 'probably never" an apartheid agent, President Mbeki concurred with the retired Judge. "Like you, I therefore did not and do not accept the observations made by some that the inquiry was irrelevant..." affirmed the President. If anything, as Prof Sangweni puts it, the very fact that the public received unrestricted access to the Hefer Commission; they received full broadcast of the hearings and also now have access to the final report which enables them to then debate and discuss these issues without any fear - that in itself is a top score for transparency and our democracy.

From AllAfrica.com, Africa, 21 January 2004

Only N/Assembly Can Legislate on Corruption, Power Abuse - Supreme Court

Abuja - Without prejudice to the powers of constituent parts of a federal system of government to enact laws, the Supreme Court has declared that the National Assembly is constitutionally, solely empowered to legislate on matters relating to corruption and abuse of power in the country. In a unanimous decision, the court also held that the Assembly had the requisite powers to enact the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Act 2000. The court was delivering judgement on an appeal brought by one Chief Adebiyi Olafisoye through his counsel, Chief F.R.A. Williams (SAN) over the power of the Assembly to enact the ICPC Act 2000. Olafisoye had been standing trial with Alhaji Mika Anache, Chief Adebiyi Omowunmi and Chief Milton Ohwovoriole (SAN) under the ICPC Act before he went to the Supreme court to challenge the powers of the Federal Government to prosecute him under the law. Besides upholding the powers of the National Assembly to enact the ICPC Act, the apex court, in the decision delivered by Justice Niki Tobi on behalf of justices Salihu Modibo Alfa Belgore, Uthman Mohammed, Anthony Ikechukwu Iguh, Aloysius Iyorgyer Kastina -Alu, Samson Odemwingie Uwaifo and Akintola Olufemi Ejiwumi, also held that decisions of foreign countries were merely of persuasive authority to the court.

Said he: "as our country is sovereign, so too our constitution and this court will always bow or kow-tow to the sovereign nature of our constitution, a sovereignty which gives rise to its supremacy over all other laws of the land, including decisions by foreign courts. "Gone are the days when all things from the older common law jurisdictions were preferred to everything from the younger common law jurisdictions. Gone are also the days when differences between judgments of this court and foreign judgements, implied that the judgements of this court could be wrong", he maintained. Justice Tobi further noted: "decisions of foreign countries are merely of persuasive authority. This court will certainly allow itself to be persuaded in appropriate cases but his court will not stray away from its course of interpreting the Nigerian constitution by resorting to foreign decisions which were decided strictly in the context of their constitutions and which are not similar to ours. "No two countries operating federal constitutions practise federalism exactly in the same way. I am yet to see two countries operating federal constitution providing exactly the same federal content in the constitutions", he stressed.

Specifically, Olafisoye prayed the court to determine whether the Act impedes or interferes with a state government's management of its affairs whether the chapter 2, on fundamental objectives and directives principles of state policy (particularly section 15(5) is a legislative, executive or judicial power also sought a declaration on whether the Act is unconstitutional for uncertainty and whether the bad provisions of the Act would be severed. The Federal Government, which is the Complainant/Appellant in the suit also asked the court to determine the following issues: o Whether the combined effect of the provisions of sections 4(2), 15(5), items 60(a), 67 and 68 in part 1 of the second schedule and section 2(a) of part III of the second schedule of the 1999 Constitution confer powers on the National Assembly to make laws for peace, order and good governance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with respect to offences arising from, connected with or pertaining to corrupt practices and abuse of power. o Whether the National Assembly has the power to enact sections 9(1) (a), 9 (1), 26 (1) (c) and 26 (3) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000. o Whether the National Assembly has the requisite power to enact the Corrupt Practices and other Related Act, 2000. o Whether the creation of Offences in the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 does not amount to a usurpation by the National Assembly of the powers of the state to create offences in criminal law, thus rendering the Act unconstitutional and invalid. o And, whether the Supreme Court could depart from its decision in Attorney-General of Ondo State versus Attorney General of the Federation in determining the case.

Williams had, in his submissions, averred that the principle of autonomy implies that neither the central government nor the regional ones could confer functions or impose duties, obligations, restrictions, and liabilities on the functionaries of others. According to him: "This particular implication of the principle of autonomy was expressly enacted in the 1963 Constitution in the provision forbidding the President as well as the Federal Legislature from conferring functions or imposing duties on the governor or other functions of state government without the consent of the state governor". But the Federal Government (complainant/appellant) through, Mrs C.I. Onugo, an Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Justice, contended that the National Assembly has the power to make laws that would promote and enforce the observance of the fundamental objectives and directive principles contained in the constitution. She maintained that the National Assembly enacted the ICPC Act by virtue of the powers conferred on it by item 60(a) of the exclusive legislative list and section 15(5) of the constitution. Onugo urged the court to hold that the combined effect of sections 4(2), 6(6), (c), 15(5) of the constitution, items 60 (a) and 68 of the Exclusive legislative list is to empower the National Assembly to enact the ICPC Act 2000.

From Daily Times of Nigeria, Nigeria, by Joseph Nwankwo, 26 January 2004

M&R and Aveng Sign Up to Stamp Out Corruption

Johannesburg - Two of South Africa's largest construction and engineering companies, Murray & Roberts (M&R) and Aveng, have signed an accord to stamp out corruption in the industry alongside some of the world's biggest names. The agreement, which was drawn up with Transparency International and the Basel Institute on Governance, was signed under the auspices of the World Economic Forum (WEF) which held its traditional annual meeting last week in the Swiss resort city of Davos. Under the agreement, the firms will adopt a zero tolerance policy on bribery and will develop the internal systems and controls needed to implement the policy. The 19 firms that signed the compact had combined annual revenues of more than $70 billion, the WEF said. M&R has an annual turnover of over R10 billion. Aveng, which owns construction giant Grinaker LTA and cement producer Alpha, had an annual turnover of more than R13 billion last year. The rest of the list of signatories includes household names such as Swiss giant ABB, Liechtenstein-based Hilti, Fluor from the US and Skanska of Sweden.

From Independent Online, South Africa, by Quentin Wray, 26 January 2004

Zero Tolerance for Corruption Not Limited to Ministers Alone

Mr. Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh, Presiding Member of the Ahafo-Ano North District Assembly, has stated that President Kufuor's call for "Zero Tolerance for Corruption" should not be limited to only Ministers of State and government officials but to all Ghanaians irrespective of their status. He expressed regret that the president's call was being limited to only top government officials and other functionaries and that it was a wrong interpretation of the declaration. Mr. Agyemang-Prempeh was speaking at the end of a three-day training workshop organised by the assembly for 29 Area and Town Councillors at Tepa. He pointed out that development could not take place in the district without revenue and called on the councillors to assist revenue collectors to discharge their duties diligently without compromising their positions. The presiding member cautioned the councillors not to introduce partisan politics into the discharge of their duties.

From Accra Mail, Ghana, 27 January 2004

Anti-Corruption Body Leaders Sworn In

Indonesia's judiciary and political elite have failed abysmally to eradicate endemic corruption since the fall of ex-president Suharto more than five years ago. Pundits aren't expecting the creation of a national graft eradication commission to change much. The five leaders of the long-awaited Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) were sworn in by President Megawati Sukarnoputri in a ceremony at the state palace on Monday (29/12/03). Megawati, who was accompanied by Vice President Hamzah Haz, gave no speech at the induction event. Indonesia has long been ranked one of the most corrupt countries in the world. The pervasive problem, which exists at all levels of politics, business and society, is considered a major detriment to urgently needed foreign investment. International donors had put pressure on the government to establish the anti-graft commission, as the judiciary is widely viewed as too crooked, too incompetent and unwilling to deal with corruption. The chairman of KPK is retired police inspector general Taufiqqurochman Ruki, who served in parliament's non-elected military/police faction for several years under Suharto. Ruki's four deputies are former state auditor Amien Sunaryadi, Finance Ministry official Sjahruddin Rasul, former state prosecutor Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean and former Jakarta Stock Exchange commissioner/former tin mining executive Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas.

The five were elected on December 16 by the House of Representatives, which is led by Akbar Tanjung, who remains free despite being convicted over a year ago of massive embezzlement of state funds. Many observers seriously doubt that a state institution led by a convicted felon would have a appointed a commission willing to tackle rampant corruption to the full extent of the law. No one is expecting KPK to swiftly resolve the case of Tanjung, who was sentenced in September 2002 to three years in jail for misappropriating Rp40 billion ($4.7 million) in state funds that were supposed to have been used to buy food for the needy. Presidential aspirant Amien Rais, who is speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), has said KPK will be useless without any political commitment from the government to combat corruption. He said it's understandable that some elements of society have expressed pessimism over the commission. After the five KPK leaders were elected in a secret ballot by 44 legislators from House Commission II on legal and domestic affairs, analysts immediately complained that "more worthy" candidates with greater integrity had failed to make the grade. Among those who had hoped to be in KPK were respected former attorney general Marsillam Simandjuntak, state prosecutor Mohammad Yamin and Indonesian Transparency Society (MTI) member Iskandar Sonhaji.

The House was widely accused of selecting the KPK members based on political considerations, rather than choosing figures with an unblemished track record against corruption. One major problem that faced KPK even before it was inaugurated was that Sunaryadi, one of the team's more respected members, said he might quit because some of his colleagues are "too old". Despite the criticism and pessimism, commentators have said KPK's leaders must be given the benefit of the doubt, as they will have the power to prosecute corruption cases, unlike previous toothless anti-graft bodies. Such power was previously in the hands of the Attorney General's Office and the police. KPK chairman Ruki on Monday vowed to never to succumb to pressure and promised to act swiftly to deal with corruption. "No powers or individuals will be able to intervene...whoever they are," he was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse. "We will not hesitate in taking actions against corruptors," he said, adding the commission would not abuse its powers. Ruki last week admitted that corruption was rampant in all levels of the police force, but claimed he had tried to stop it. "I know that corruption is rampant in the police force. I know because I am an insider," he was quoted as saying by The Jakarta Post daily.

He acknowledged it would be difficult to build a potent institution capable of combating corruption, but promised to do his best. Whether KPK will be willing and able to flex it muscles remains to be seen. Legislators have already demanded that KPK's secretariat should be placed under one of the ministries accountable to House Commission II. Commission II monitors the Home Affairs Ministry, Justice and Human Rights Ministry, State Administrative Reform Ministry, National Police and the Attorney General's Office. According the Commission II, the move is necessary to reduce state budget costs. If such a proposal is accepted, Indonesians might just as well forget about having an independent, powerful anti-corruption body. Health Wealth - In addition to student groups demanding the resolution of Akbar Tanjung's corruption conviction, KPK has also been urged to immediately deal with the alleged mark-up of Rp345 billion ($40.7 million) in additional 2003 state budget funds for various development programs in eastern and western Indonesia.

A. Rusly Biki, president of the State Wealth Rescue Committee (KPHN), on Monday claimed much of the money had been misused by the Health Ministry and state-owned PT Rajawali Nusantara Indonesia, which is one the country's main sugar manufacturers. "We called on the related institutions, the police, the prosecutors office and the newly established KPK to focus on Health Ministry officials for investigation and legal process," Biki was quoted as saying by state news agency Antara. He made the demand as about 200 members of KPHN and the People's Anti-Corruption Commission (Korak) protested at the Health Ministry to call for the resignation of Health Minister Achmad Sujudi. Also on Monday, about 500 anti-corruption activists in Jakarta launched a national movement to encourage voters not to elect crooked politicians in next year's legislative and presidential elections. "Do not choose them, those who rob state coffers, do not choose them, those who make the people suffer," popular singer Franky Sahilatua was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse. About 500 people participated in the rally to launch the so-called National Movement Against Electing Rotten Politicians in front of a statue of the country's founding fathers, Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta, in a park on Jalan Proklamasi.

From Laksamana, Indonesia, 5 January 2004

India News: Corruption Alert Against Cops in Mumbai

Mumbai - Determined to clean up Mumbai Police that have seen their chief being arrested for alleged links with a forgery scam, Police Commissioner P.S Pasricha has shunted out several tainted officers and stepped up vigilance against corruption. Police sources here said that Pasricha had transferred more than a dozen police officers out of the Crime Branch, the elite investigation department of the police force that has hunted down and killed several gangsters in the past years. The sources said the transfers were part of a move to identify departments and individual police stations that are favourites with corrupt police officers. Among those transferred out of the Crime Branch is high profile Inspector Pradeep Sharma, the "encounter specialist" who headed the anti-extortion cell of the police force and had gunned down several gangsters. The new police chief has also ordered his deputies to keep a watch on 11 police stations in Mumbai that are known to be lucrative for corrupt police officers.

Police personnel are known to pay huge amounts of bribes to be posted here since they can earn large sums of money from criminal elements. These police stations are located in the docklands where smuggling and thieving of consignments from the docks take place. Other "hot" precincts include the police stations in Juhu, Lokhandwala and other areas of north Mumbai, which are home to movie stars, and downtown Colaba where a large number of tourists stay. Soon after he took over, Pasricha carried out a massive cleanup operation promoting 14 police sub-inspectors and transferring 115 assistant police inspectors, 1,255 assistant sub-inspectors and head constables and 54 police writers. Many of them had allegedly developed links with the underworld, sources said. Investigations into the multibillion rupee fake stamp scandal masterminded by Abdul Karim Telgi revealed that a number of police officers remained in the same post for years at a stretch after negotiating with political bosses.

From Keralanext, India, 2 January 2004

Campaigns Against Corruption and Mismanagement

In recent years, literature and broadcasts on a specific theme "campaigns against corruption and mismanagement "have become favourites for Chinese publishing houses and TV stations. Books on this subject frequently make best-seller lists while their TV adaptations are broadcast in prime time on channels of the national China Central Television (CCTV) network and provincial stations. Last year alone, Zhou Meisen, a popular rising author and screen writer, saw three of his works on the same theme adapted into television series and broadcast either on local TV stations or CCTV. The phenomenon invites critics to probe into the stimuli behind it. And, as it turns out, the genre stirs as much controversy as the interest it arouses in the audience. Contemporary life - An obvious reason for the appeal of such subject matter is its immediate relevance to contemporary social life, critics agree. On one hand, officials who accept kickbacks or bribes have become one of the most maligned groups of social pests in China. Few things give Chinese people more pleasure than seeing a corrupt official punished. Political intrigue, trust or betrayal only make these acclaimed novels about fighting corruption more popular with contemporary readers. On the other hand, the Chinese Government has greatly intensified its drive to oust corrupt officials in recent years.

In 2003 alone, 12 senior officials above the provincial and ministerial level lost their positions and were found by the court to be guilty of accepting bribes, embezzlement and other crimes while abusing their political and administrative power. Many writers do not sit idle. Realism has always been a strong part of China's literary tradition since 1919's May 4th Movement. Many Chinese writers still believe that literature must reflect real social life. A large number of writers committed to writing about fighting corruption have claimed they are motivated by their responsibility to help find solutions to social problems. "I always believe that literature must actively exert its influence on the society and the people,'' said Zhang Ping, the author of 1997's "To Make a Choice'' (Jueze), winner of the fifth Mao Dun Literature Award in 2001. Many writers have undertaken painstaking investigations and managed to unearth first-hand materials from local police, public prosecutors and judicial officials around them before they start to write. Zhou Meisen has made his exploration in the administrative sector, delving into the realities behind so-called "government achievement'' as in "Supreme Interest (Zhigao liyi),'' with the novel published in 2002 and the TV drama series broadcast last year. He has also gone into the sector of public prosecution as in his 2003 novel "State Prosecution,'' (Guojia gongsu),'' which also became a TV drama series.

It was said that after "To Make a Choice'' was published, Zhang received threatening mail from enraged local officials, who believed he used them as the models for the corrupt characters in his work. But Zhang also got many more encouraging letters from local people for exactly the same reason. The episode attests how true-to-life the novel is. The book's movie adaptation, "To Make a Choice between Life and Death'' (Shengsi jueze), produced a box office smash in 2000. What is the essence - However, debates have also begun as the genre soon proved to be profitable in the market, which has encouraged more and more writers to pick up the theme and join in the production of films and television series based on the same subject matter. The discussion mainly focuses on what attitudes the writers should adopt to write about social and official corruption. Critics say that some works have aroused uncomfortable feelings because some writers have adopted a naturalistic way to describe corruption. Those authors feature corruption in their works but do not give detailed commentary. Some of the literary works even give the impression that the authors actually take delight in exposing such subject matter. As a result, instead of reinforcing people's disgust toward these depraved lifestyles, they seem to be instilling the idea that it is enjoyable. "Between writing about the effort to fight against corruption, and writing about corruption, there is a big difference,'' said Writers' Publishing House President Zhang Shengyou. "The two approaches would influence readers in quite different ways.''

Also under the pretense of "fighting corruption,'' some writers cunningly initiate an adventure to write specifically about political tricks and administrative schemes. The most representative of this is Wang Yuewen's "Chinese Painting'' (Guohua) (1999), published by the People's Literature Publishing House, and Wang Wanfu's "The Taste of being an Official'' (Jiguan ziwei) (2001), published by the China Movie Publishing House. Both have hit best-seller lists. "Human beings have had a natural fascination with power struggles throughout history,'' said He Hong, a critic working with the Henan Literature Institute. "That's why the TV series centreing on Imperial China's royal courts have been so popular in recent years.'' Now such an interest also motivates some writers to take to the writing of the so-called "guanchang'' novel, or novel about officials. "These novels seek to satisfy the curiosity of those outside official circles. And to those in it, they may serve as textbooks to teach them the arts of grabbing and wielding power. They are low and vulgar in taste, and immoral as far as a writer's conscience is concerned,'' said Zhang Shengyou. As far as the literary accomplishment is concerned, the anti-corruption literature has met with rather cold acknowledgement with literary critics.

Literary merits - Few reviews have ever been dedicated to novels of this theme in literary magazines. When they are mentioned, critics usually relegate those into a category but seldom regard such works as individual examples of creative writing. The snub irritates many writers who have produced the works. Lu Tianming is the author of several novels featuring the rise and fall of the officials during the period of reforms and opening up. His novel "Heavy Snow Leaves No Trace'' (Daxue wuhen) (2000) was considered a major success in the market. The TV drama series adapted from Lu's novel of the same title won the Golden Eagle award as the best TV drama series in 2001. In November of last year, when the former Minister of Land and Resources Tian Fengshan was sacked from his post for corruption, Lu revealed that he had heard about Tian's wrongdoings while collecting first-hand materials in the Northeast for "Heavy Snow Leaves No Trace,'' nearly 10 years ago. However, few literary critics have touched upon his work. "I didn't expect they would give me a medal for my writing, but I do wish they could at least appreciate the pains I have taken in writing such novels,'' Lu Tianming said, in response to the cold response from critics. "Part of the Chinese literary world seems to have an ingrained notion that the more popular the book, the cheaper it is,'' he added.

An often-heard observation made by the more "refined'' literary world about these anti-corruption novels is that they believe such works cannot endure. Being the product of a specific era, some critics say, these novels could produce a spell that would last only a matter of several years. Just as Chinese society of the 1970s and the 1980s has for a time been dubbed as producing so-called "scar literature'' and "reform literature,'' which are scarcely read after the society moves on and the historical context changes. But the writers themselves are optimistic about the long-term appeal of their work. "As long as there is the phenomenon of corruption, there must be the battles against corruption, and the literature dedicated to them,'' Lu Tianming said. Zhou Meisen said he is not happy with the fact that his writings have been relegated to the rank "anti-corruption'' works. A writer who has worked with local government offices in Xuzhou in East China's Jiangsu Province, Zhou said he is concerned with a broad range of social problems, which, arising from reforms and changes, affect the lives and ways of thinking of all Chinese citizens, including those who hold government posts. "I am trying to examine why those (instances of official corruption) happen,'' he said. Critics also question the artistic value of anti-corruption literature.

The genre is often generally censured as rough in linguistic craftsmanship, and stereotyped in plot and portrayal of character. Some critics even believe that a large part of the writing should not be called literature at all. There is no denying that most of the anti-corruption novels are concocted with the same ingredients: criminal investigations, power struggles, suspense and elements found in fictional thrillers, sometimes perhaps spiced with an episode of romance as well. All of these elements are likely to promote the sales in book market. The best anti-corruption writers are conscious of the shortcoming of the writing so far as it develops, and are making efforts to instill a new vitality to the genre. "The most important concern of mine in recent years has been how to establish a more distinctive personal style, while still maintaining appeal in the market,'' said Lu, who is one of the most influential writers in this field. Lu tried the subject in 2000 with "Heavy Snow Leaves no Trace.'' The novel removes much of the impulsive mood of "The Blue Sky above,'' (Cangtian zaishang)'' (1995), and assumes a much more calm and rational tone. He adeptly dissects the psychology of a promising official who turns from a conscientious young man into a criminal who commits murder to cover his crimes. "I wanted to draw a comprehensive portrait of a senior Chinese official such as a provincial governor," he said, a job seldom tried before.

From China Daily, China, 7 January 2004

Corruption: PM and His Cabinet Will Lead the Fight

Kuala Lumpur - Political leaders should lead by example in combating corruption, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. He said it would be sheer hypocrisy to tell government officials to behave when they did not uphold good work ethics. Speaking at the Fifth Public Service Council Meeting at the National Institute of Public Administration (Intan) at Bukit Kiara here today, the Prime Minister said: "If the political leaders are themselves involved in corruption or are inefficient in carrying out their duties, how can they expect the officials under them to serve the people well? "So on behalf of all political leaders, I would like to make a New Year resolution. All political leaders under my administration will show good examples in carrying out their duties. "I will ensure that there will be no place for political leaders who cakap tak serupa bikin (do not do as they say)." Also at the function was the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Samsudin Osman and most members of the Cabinet.

From The Star, Malaysia, 9 January 2004

Chinese Vow to Curb Corruption in North-East Rustbelt

The governors of Liaoning, Heilongjiang and Jilin, three provinces in China's north-east, have vowed to clean up corruption and get the region back on track. The economic revival of the north-eastern industrial rustbelt, home to some 110m people, would be impossible unless authorities could assure investors that spectacular recent cases of corruption were a thing of the past, officials said yesterday. Bo Xilai, governor of Liaoning, said his province was determined to use all possible measures to smash the scourge of official corruption to emancipate the economy from bribery, favouritism, mafia influence and other abuses. "If we can't create a clean and honest government and a law-abiding society, then it will be impossible to reinvigorate the north-east," Mr. Bo said. The north-east of China, identified by the government of Wen Jiabao, premier, as a priority area for development, has fallen prey to widespread criminal activity since its once-proud heavy industrial base collapsed in the 1990s, throwing millions out of work.

The most spectacular case of corruption so far was in Liaoning, where Liu Yong, a mafia boss, used terror and bribery to gain huge influence over the administration of Mu Suixin, former mayor of Shenyang, the province's main city. Mr. Mu died of cancer in prison after being jailed and Mr. Liu was executed a few weeks ago. However, citizens in Shenyang still complain of official corruption. Mr. Bo did not explain the steps the province was taking to eradicate unlawful practices and an official in his office rejected the idea that the case of Mr. Liu indicated shortcomings in China's political system. The mafia boss, who also held a post in the local parliament, had been able to co-opt most of the mayor's office, the tax bureau, the state prosecutor and other officials into his schemes. Heilongjiang province is still reeling from its latest corruption case. Zhang Zuoji, its governor, said a province-wide campaign had been launched to overcome corruption. "We have punished a lot of officials at lower levels," he said. He confirmed that Zhu Shengwen, formerly a deputy governor, recently committed suicide in jail, where he was serving a 17-year sentence for accepting Rmb70,000 ($8,400, €6,600, £4,500) in bribes from a property developer.

Former governor Tian Fengshan has been investigated since October 2003, also for economic crimes. Xu Youfang, the province's Communist party secretary until March last year, is also under investigation, party sources said. High-level corruption is only one of the difficulties inherent in "reinvigorating the north-east", an aim that Mr. Wen has listed as a central goal of his tenure. A comprehensive strategy on how to develop the area had recently been drawn up by the State Development and Reform Commission but details remained secret, officials said. "Reinvigorating the old industrial bases is a long-term strategy rather than a one-off programme," Hong Hu, governor of Jilin, said. "It will take 10 years or beyond to complete the rejuvenation process." One thing is clear. The state will have to inject funds, mainly from the proceeds of treasury bonds, to build infrastructure and help ailing state industries upgrade their performance. Investment from abroad, particularly from Japan, was also required, officials said.

From Financial Times, UK, by James Kynge, 9 January 2004

Bringing more Democracy to Local Government

"Government of the citizens, for the citizens and by the citizens" has been pledged by Guangzhou municipal government, as it plans to put all planned administrative regulations up for public scrutiny. This southern metropolis has always been as a trailblazer, having opened its official archives and data before any other city in China. And now this improvement in the city's democracy is likely to attract nationwide attention. Officials said the authorities will work harder to ensure that local people have a greater say in the policy-making process, guaranteeing greater public support for regulations and their more efficient carrying out. A website was launched last month by the local government to give residents a further opportunity to take part in local democracy. Qin Yaoguang, secretary-general of the Guangzhou municipal government, said local residents will be able to get information about urban planning, key projects, financial administration, personnel changes online this year. Residents are expected to send e-mails to the mayor and lodge complaints they may have about the work of the local government. Government purchasing will be put under stricter public supervision as projects should only be set up after public bidding.

As the city expands the coverage of governmental purchases, the municipal government is redoubling its efforts to improve the purchasing management system and strengthen supervision in order to make the procedure more open, fair and transparent. Projects involving a purchasing value of more than 500,000 yuan (US$60,240) are subject to public bidding, and projects involving a purchasing value over 5 million yuan (US$602,410) are additionally subject to the supervision of various governmental departments in Guangzhou. The city recently developed management software to appraise government purchases, pooling some 3,000 experts for 200 purchasing categories. The experts will be chosen by random sampling and automatically informed one day before the appraisal, thereby minimizing concerns about "unfair practices.'' Total government purchasing last year was estimated at 2 billion yuan (US$241 million). Liu Heng, a professor of public administration with Guangzhou-based Zhongshan University, pointed out that the efforts have helped build up the city's image. benefiting Guangzhou as it competes for funds and technology.

From China Daily, China, 12 January 2004

Parliament Adopts Law To Fight Corruption

Azerbaijani Parliament (Milli Majlis) on Tuesday adopted a law on fighting against corruption in its third reading. Adopting such a law was among the commitments that the country took before joining the Council of Europe (CE) in 2001. The law that is going to take effect beginning Jan. 1 next year considers creating a Commission to Fight Against Corruption, which will be comprised of representatives from all three wings of authority. Government officials are required by the new law to report to the commission every year about their income, property, bank deposits, etc. According to the law, high government officials cannot hire their close relatives. They should also refrain from taking gifts that cost more than $50. The law says if a gift costs more than $50, then it can be given to the office, or the government body where the official works at. The Transparency International's (TI) Corruption Perceptions index for 2003 placed Azerbaijan in a group of countries where corruption is "pervasive." Azerbaijan shares the group with Bangladesh, Nigeria, Haiti, Paraguay, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Georgia, Cameroon, Angola, Kenya, and Indonesia.

From Baku Today, Azerbaijan, 14 January 2004

Megawati Rival Promises to Fight Corruption

A leading contender to unseat Megawati Sukarno-putri, Indonesia's president, in elections this year has pledged to reform the country's ailing judiciary and bloated civil service and offer zero tolerance to corruption. Wiranto, a former defence minister, was indicted last year by United Nations prosecutors in East Timor who say he held "command responsibility" for the 1,400 deaths and other human rights abuses during its 1999 vote for independence. In recent months, however, the one-time adjutant to former President Suharto has emerged as a leading candidate for the nomination of Suharto's Golkar party, which is due to name its presidential candidate following legislative elections on April 5. Some analysts and diplomats say Mr. Wiranto's tainted record on East Timor could lead to international isolation for Indonesia if he were elected. The retired general blames "social unrest" for the killings in East Timor and claims responsibility only for a "peaceful settlement". His testimony as a witness before an Indonesian tribunal on East Timor, widely criticised as a sham, also meant he had already faced a court, he said yesterday.

Mr. Wiranto has emerged as the leading hope in elections this year for both foreign and local business people seeking a return to strong, pro-business leadership in Indonesia. Yesterday he pointed to the faster recovery of economies such as South Korea and Malaysia from the Asian financial crisis in outlining a largely pro-business agenda. Indonesia, hit hardest by the 1997-98 crisis, "lost a lot of time in the last five years" in its efforts to recover, he said. Mr. Wiranto pledged to strengthen the country's weak judiciary and "uphold legal supremacy without being trapped by authoritarianism and militarism". This, he said, would lead to zero tolerance towards corruption, an area in which Indonesia now ranks among the worst countries in the world. Mr. Wiranto said he would also tackle the country's "fat bureaucracy" and work to retain industries relocating elsewhere in south-east Asia. Indonesia's unpredictable judiciary and bloated civil service are seen as barriers to a badly needed increase in foreign direct investment. He also offered hope to human rights groups, pledging that he would bring a "speedy halt" to military operations in Aceh, where Indonesia is trying to quell a long-running separatist uprising.

From Financial Times, UK, by Shawn Donnan, 16 January 2004

China's Anti-corruption Plan Doomed by One-Party System

Beijing's graft-busting efforts barely scratch the surface: Bao Tong - The Chinese Communist Party has issued an ambitious six-point plan for tackling rampant official corruption in its ranks in 2004, but a former high-ranking Party official says its efforts are doomed to failure without political reform, RFA's Mandarin service reports. The Chinese Communist Party Central Commission for Discipline Inspection published a bulletin earlier this week, outlining its plans to investigate and handle major corruption cases. Priority would be given to cases involving top officials at or above county level involved in corrupt activities, the statement said. "Where do the roots of China's corruption problem lie? With the single party system, with the fact that there is no democracy," Bao Tong, former Party Central Committee member, told RFA. "They talk about attacking both roots and surface, but the problem is that every single case they deal with is attacking the surface, not the roots."

According to the statement, the commission will focus on cases involving construction projects, transfer of land-use rights, the financial sector, and on cases involving restructuring and regrouping of state-owned enterprises that result in asset impairment losses. It will also target those leaders and law enforcement officers who protect evil gangs. Bao-who is a former close aide to the disgraced Party chief Zhao Ziyang-expressed strong skepticism that the Party would be able to turn around its appalling record of official corruption. "Never mind about the new cases. Can you solve the problem of the existing cases?" he said. "If the country can't even cope with the surface layer of problems that have already cropped up in the past, how is it going to succeed in preventing future problems? I don't think they'll be able to," Bao said. "I wish they could apply the spirit of these regulations to the existing cases."

He said that while Chinese leaders basically understood the extent of corruption in the country, without a solution that changes the problem's non-democratic roots, corruption would continue. "It will continue to grow, and proliferate, and create even more corruption," Bao predicted. Shenzhen-based dissident Miao Xike said part of the problem was that nearly all officials had something to lose from anti-graft investigations. "It all sounds very good. But when it comes down to implementing it, will they really be able to catch these officials of county-level and higher? There can only be a handful of clean officials left in the Chinese Communist Party," he told RFA correspondent in Hong Kong, Yan Ming. The anti-graft regulations are being propelled by the Party's internal watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Organization Department of the Party Central Committee. These two bodies set up a joint office and inspection teams in August to further scrutinize the affairs of provincial Party and government leaders.

Wu Guanzheng, who heads the Commission for Discipline Inspection, vowed last year to set up an efficient and systematic anti-graft mechanism within the next few years, to ensure officials clean up their act. The official People's Daily newspaper estimated recently that U.S. $30 billion a year disappears from state coffers in China through the actions of fraudulent officials. Another estimate by a Chinese scholar put the amount at U.S.$157 billion over the past three years. Last month, the disgraced former vice-governor of Anhui province in eastern China was sentenced to death last month for corruption while the vice governor of scandal-plagued Liaoning province was sacked recently. Elsewhere, the deputy mayor of the southern metropolis of Shenzhen was thrown in jail. China last month signed the UN Convention Against Corruption in a move aimed at repatriating billions of dollars in public funds that have been siphoned off overseas by corrupt Chinese officials.

From Radio Free Asia, United States, 16 January 2004

Corruption and Infighting Roil S. Korea

President Roh Moo-hyun's foreign minister resigned in a rift over how to balance relations with the US and N. Korea. - The forced resignation Thursday of Korea's foreign minister added to the turmoil within a government already shaken by corruption scandals, torn by internal divisions, and weakened by conservative foes in control of the National Assembly. Yoon Young Kwan, a former Seoul National University professor who had seemed to support President Roh Moo-hyun's desire for an "independent" policy vis-à-vis the United States, was finally forced out after revelation of a deep rift between his subordinates and Roh's closest aides. Differences focused on how to rationalize the desire of the Bush administration for a firm policy toward North Korea with efforts by Mr. Roh to pursue the "sunshine policy" of reconciliation advocated by his predecessor, Kim Dae Jung. The rift emerged in recent days amid reports that one leading foreign ministry official had accused members of Roh's entourage of fanatic pursuit of their enemies by likening them to Afghanistan's Taliban. In response, Jeong Chan Yong, a senior secretary at the Blue House, the center of presidential power, said bluntly that foreign ministry officials had "failed to effectively implement the independent foreign policy direction" of the government.

While Mr. Yoon's resignation appeared initially as a setback for closer ties between Seoul and Washington in the midst of an international standoff with North Korea, some analysts questioned the extent to which the furor would force a shift in outlook. "This is some kind of bureaucratic infighting between institutions," says Kim Tae Hwan of Yonsei University's school of international studies. "Professional diplomats tended to look down on the National Security Council staff surrounding the president and complained they had no idea what diplomacy involves. I don't think it symbolizes a change in policy." But the incident threatens to consume more of the Roh administration's time and energy, already dissipated by seemingly nonstop corruption scandals. Aides say that the president is consumed by the scandals, so much so that he has little energy left to deal with pressing topics like the economy and North Korea. 'I regret all this'. In his New Year's press conference on Wednesday, the South Korean president acknowledged the scandal has been a distraction. "The public became upset over the issue of illegal presidential election campaign funds, coupled with faults surrounding me," Roh said. "Once again, I regret all this."

Corruption appears certain to grab headlines, taking precedence over North Korea, in the run-up to National Assembly elections in April. In the upcoming contest, he hopes his followers can cut into the majority held by the conservative Grand National Party, an obstacle to whatever he hopes to do on substantive issues. However, Roh may end up losing support, in part because the southwestern Cholla region is now divided on his presidency after having been largely responsible for his victory in 2002. More than 95 percent of the voters from Cholla cast their ballots for Roh even though he's from near Pusan, the major center in the southeast. The voting again proved the enduring popularity of the region's favorite son, Kim Dae Jung, who had won a similar percentage in the 1997 election but could not seek a second five-year term under the Constitution. In an bid to win back support, Roh promised to tackle the corruption problem. "We will see every collusive link and abusive power that existed between politics and the press, and politics and business over the past few decades dismantled completely," Roh said. But, the job is considerably complicated by the realization that numerous former aides of Roh and Kim Dae Jung, two of Mr. Kim's sons, and eight National Assembly members have also been jailed.

Roh himself might be a target except for the fact that the Constitution bars prosecutors from pressing charges against a president while still in office. Some foreign observers, viewing the fallout, see the government badly weakened while facing North Korea in negotiations this year on topics ranging from nuclear weaponry to road and rail contacts between the two Koreas. Nonetheless, there's also a sense of déjà vu, a feeling that Korea has weathered such scandals in the past and will survive the current imbroglio too. "We've seen much worse than this," says a Western diplomat. "Comparatively, the money they're talking about now is fairly trivial. The government could also gain strength from this business once it's all over." Korea's most extraordinary revelations of corruption emerged in the trials of two former South Korean leaders, Chun Doo Hwan and Roh Tae Woo, both of whom were generals.

A cycle of corruption - The fact that Roh Tae Woo was elected president in 1987, six months after outraged demonstrators forced promulgation of a democratic constitution, did not stop him, like his predecessor Mr. Chun, from assuming that the country's notorious chaebol, or conglomerates, owed him enormous gifts in the ancient tradition of fealty to the ruler. The payoffs to Chun and Roh are estimated in the hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, of dollars. Chun and Roh were both convicted during the administration of Kim Young Sam, elected in 1992 as Korea's first civilian president since 1960. Mr. Kim is now accused of having received and passed on funds to advance his own political career. Nongovernmental groups are determined to break what they see as an endless cycle. "We demand the prosecutors investigate top businessmen to find out how conglomerates engaged in illicit collection of funds for politicians," People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy said in a letter to the Seoul District Public Prosecutor's Office. Such demands, however, may go unheeded. Prosecutors and courts have periodically gone after tycoons, generally obtaining convictions that result in suspended sentences and large fines. "It's no disgrace," said a manager of a major trading firm. "It's part of the price of doing business."

From Christian Science Monitor, by Donald Kirk, 16 January 2004

Police, MCD Top Corruption List

New Delhi - In what has become a familiar pattern, the MCD and the Delhi Police topped the list of complaints about corruption, received in 2003. The MCD had 211 complaints against it while the Delhi Police had 117 complaints. The figures, which are yet to be published by the Delhi government's vigilance department, also show that the reporting of complaints has increased from 2002. The number of complaints received in 2002 was 1,449. In 2003, this went up to 1,674. However, the most significant fact to emerge out of these figures is that 80 gazetted officers from various departments have been chargesheeted through vigilance inquiries conducted by fellow officers. "This is a tough job as it involves taking decisions against one's own colleagues," said vigilance secretary B V Selvaraj. The number of people penalised in corruption cases has also increased from just 16 in 2002 to 47 in 2003, which is almost a three-fold increase.

From Daily Times of Nigeria, Nigeria, 26 January 2004

Survey Shows Chinese Unhappy with Fight Against Corruption

Chinese state media has published a survey showing nearly half of all Chinese are unhappy with the government's handling of official corruption. Earlier this month the Chinese Communist Party pledged to strengthen its fight against corruption. Corruption is widely believed to be rampant throughout China, and is the cause of much public unrest. A survey about corruption involving 12,000 people from 10 large cities and provinces was published in today's Beijing Times newspaper. It says only 52 per cent of respondents approve of the government's anti-corruption work. For more than a decade top officials in China have promised to crack down. A number of high profile prosecutions seem to have done little to curb the problem, or win public regard.

From ABC Online, Australia, 26 January 2004

Corruption, Communalism Evils of Society: Punjab Minister

Jalandhar - The true way to honour those martyrs who fought in the freedom struggle is to rid the society of corruption and other evils like communalism. It is only by carrying out the much needed economic reforms and by putting the state into developmental mode that would be a befitting way to celebrate the country's freedom. They sacrificed their lives to bring about a free and just society. Expressing these views the medical and primary education minister Khushhal Behal said this day was a day of self-appraisal. Even after 55 years, corruption is a major issue and is throttling the country. Our government is committed to take the fight against corruption to its logical end, he said. Meanwhile, the national flag was unfurled by Gurbinder Singh Atwal at Phillaur. At Nakodar Amarjit Singh Samra, revenue and agriculture minister for state unfurled the flag. Unfurling the national flag at Kapurthala the medical education and research minister Santokh Singh paid rich tributes to Dr BR Ambedkar and said he was a visionary.

From The Times of India, by KS Dhaliwal, 27 January 2004

House, Government Defend Corruption 'Bulldozer'

Jakarta - The House of Representatives and the government on Monday defended the establishment of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and denied suggestions that the setting up of the new commission was unconstitutional. "There have been no breaches of the constitution. What we have done is simply to harmonize the powers of the KPK and Public Servants Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN)," said Hamdan Zoelva, a member of House Commission II for legal affairs, before a judicial panel of the Constitutional Court. Hamdan was representing the House in an action challenging the constitutionality of Law No.30/2002 on the establishment of the KPK. The government was represented by Abdulgani Abdullah, director general for law and legislation at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. KPKPN members are seeking a judicial review of Law No. 30/2002 as it abolishes the role of the KPKPN in eradicating corruption.

The KPKPN, whose establishment was mandated by Law No.28/1999, was given the task of taking preventive action against corruption through auditing the wealth of public officials. Many legislators and state officials have been up in arms over what they see as prying by the KPKPN into their possibly ill-gotten wealth. However, the public sees the KPKPN as having courageously crusaded against rampant corruption in high places. Hamdan reiterated that the KPKPN would be subsumed into the KPK so that its role and functions would be maintained. Counsel for the KPKPN, Amir Syamsuddin, said that although the KPKPN would be incorporated into the KPK, some of its duties would be jettisoned. "This has prejudiced the constitutional rights of our client," Amir said.

During the hearing, which was presided over by the Constitutional Court president, Jimly Asshiddiqie, Judge Maruarar Siahaan asked whether the winding up of the KPKPN was motivated by malicious intent. Both Hamdan Zoelva and Abdulgani denied this, saying that the establishment of the KPK was intended solely to strengthen the war against corruption. Abdulgani said that corruption in Indonesia was so widespread that the preventive measures carried out by the KPKPN were not enough. "It will take a bulldozer to eradicate corruption in Indonesia. We hope that the KPK will function as a bulldozer," he said. Meanwhile, Hamdan stressed that the establishment of the KPK was aimed at bringing into being a commission that would have greater powers than the KPKPN. He said that the KPKPN had wide-ranging duties but not enough to properly perform these duties.

From Jakarta Post, Indonesia, by Kurniawan Hari, 27 January 2004

Fernandes Calls for a Corruption-free Society

The Defence Minister Shri George Fernandes has called upon the NCC cadets to work for a corruption-free society. Addressing the NCC cadets on behalf of the Prime Minister here today he asked them to add the pledge of eradicating corruption with unity and discipline which is the motto of NCC. He said with these three pledges they will be able to project a cleaner and brighter picture of India to the world. Shri Fernandes commended the role of NCC cadets in times of adversity whether it was during the Orissa cyclone, the Gujarat earthquake or the phase when Gujarat witnessed internal turmoil. The Defence Minister said, in fact, NCC with 13 lakh cadets is more than the strength of our Army and has been the first in reaching at any spot in times of distress.

He expressed full confidence that with unity and discipline combined with integrity and perseverance, this institution will be able to get the country rid of all its ailments. In his opening remarks the Defence Minister made it clear that he was addressing the gathering on behalf of the Prime Minister who could not address the rally because of a bereavement in the family. Mr. Fernandes said that he and those present at the rally share the sorrow of the Prime Minister. Shri Fernandes gave away best cadet and best directorate awards. The overall championship was won by the Karnataka Directorate.

From Press Information Bureau (press release), India, 27 January 2004

Georgia to Revive Economy, Promote Anti-corruption Efforts: Minister

Tbilisi - Georgian Minister of State Zurab Zhvaniya said Saturday that the new government will face the uphill tasks to revive economy, attract foreign investments and fight rampant corruption. "The first priorities on the agenda of the new government will be to crack down on corruption, reduce governmental financial crisis, overcome energy shortage and take measures to attract more foreign investments to help invigorate the country's economy," Zhvaniya said in an interview with Xinhua on the eve of Sunday's presidential election. On the issues of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the minister said the two, which have been in separatist wars with Georgia, are "the most thorny problems in his country." "Georgia insists that the issues be resolved by peaceful means and hopes the international community can play an important role," he said. Zhvaniya said "Russia should play a crucial role in this regard," stressing that these problems could not be resolved without Russia's constructive participation.

Meanwhile, he said one of the key tasks of the new government would be to normalize the country's relations with Russia. He said Georgia is willing to establish relationship of good-neighborliness and partnership with Russia, which "is and will be Georgia's important partner." The two countries should dispense with all previous ill will and develop bilateral ties on the basis of mutual respect and trust. He proposed that Russia withdraw its military bases in Georgian territory. The presence of these military bases is an obstacle to the improvement of relations between the two countries, and Russia should create better conditions for the withdrawal of the bases, he said. Zhvaniya told Xinhua that the motive behind the withdrawal proposal is not to open the door for any deployment of US military bases in his country. Georgia opposes presence of any foreign military bases within its territory, he said.

On relations between Georgia and China, the minister said that China is Georgia's crucial partner and Georgia hopes to strengthen economic, trade and cultural ties with China. Georgia will open its embassy in China in the near future, he said. He also said Georgia supports China's policy of "one country, two systems." Hong Kong's smooth return to China shows that China could realize reunification of the motherland by peaceful means, he added. Georgia's economy is bolstered by tourism and its famous wines. But industries of the country, with a population of about 5.5 million, collapsed in recent years, and the nation has been torn by the separatist wars in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Widespread corruption has driven away massive Western aid. Fraud allegations in the parliamentary elections last November triggered Eduard Shevardnadze to step down from the presidency and Avtandil Jorbenadze from the minister of state. The Georgian parliament appointed Zhvaniya the new minister of state, the second most powerful man after the president. The country will hold the presidential election on Sunday.

From Xinhua, China, 3 January 2004

Terror Bill Gives Ministers More Powers

The Government has published a Bill which will give authorities major new powers to cope with civil emergencies, including terrorist attacks. The Civil Contingencies Bill, drawn up in the wake of the September 11 outrages in the USA, will allow ministers to issue emergency orders without the approval of Parliament. These could include measures to bar public access to sensitive sites, evacuate affected areas, deploy the armed forces, requisition property, ban public gatherings or set up a special court to deal with a disaster. The Bill has aroused concern among civil liberties campaigners and parliamentarians, who warned that as initially drafted it gave ministers the ability to invoke emergency powers in too wide a range of circumstances. In response to the concerns, the Government has tightened its definition of an emergency, which is described in the Bill as "an event or situation which threatens serious damage to human welfare, the environment or the security of the United Kingdom or a place in the United Kingdom".

Ministers agreed to strike out a proposal to include threats to the "political, administrative or economic stability" of the country, after a joint committee of MPs and peers warned that this would allow a future Government to declare a national emergency simply in order to protect its own existence. Emergencies could be declared under the terms of the Bill not only in the case of terror attacks, but also situations like major floods, catastrophic storms, oil-spills or war. Existing emergency legislation is based on the 1920 Emergency Powers Act and the 1948 Civil Defence Act, which was drawn up to deal with the threat of an attack by the Soviet Union. Although they already give police wide-ranging powers to take control of services and commandeer buildings and equipment, the new Bill is intended to ensure their actions are legally watertight in the event of circumstances not envisaged when the laws were drawn up. Cabinet Office minister Douglas Alexander, who presented the new Bill to Parliament, said it would streamline civil protection procedures to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

From Reading Chronicle, UK, 7 January 2004

Georgia: Saakashvili Vows To Fight Corruption

Tbilisi - President-elect Mikheil Saakashvili says he will form a special investigative unit to tackle corruption when he becomes the new president of Georgia. "We need to introduce to the parliament a very drastic anticorruption legislation that would give fast powers to a new elite, small, honest investigative unit that would really tackle high-level corruption," Saakashvili said. Saakashvili made the remarks to The Associated Press news agency today, shortly after Georgia's election commission said the 36-year-old lawyer overwhelmingly won a presidential poll on 4 January. Saakashvili has said his anticorruption campaign may target assets held by the family of ousted President Eduard Shevardnadze. He said he does not intend to take vengeful actions against Shevardnadze or his relatives, but that any illegally obtained assets should be returned to the state. Saakashvili has pledged to battle corruption, work for prosperity, bring Georgia's separatist territories under central control, and to pursue good relations with European countries, the United States, and Russia. His inauguration has tentatively been scheduled for 25 January.

From Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic, 7 January 2004

EU Wants WTO to Tackle Corruption

The European Union wants to expand the agenda of the World Trade Organisation to include anti-corruption measures, Pascal Lamy, the EU's trade commissioner, said yesterday. In Berlin, Mr. Lamy said the Commission would comment on the EU's stance on business and trade-related corruption when WTO members reviewed its trade policies this year. He hoped the move, aimed at prompting other WTO members to do likewise, would be a first step towards building a "broad coalition of interests" in support of an "explicit anti-corruption agenda in the WTO". "If we get others to follow, we will have gone a long way towards making the fight against corruption an explicit rather than an implicit WTO objective" he said. The Commission's comments would draw on a policy paper it published last May on bribe paying, procurement and other issues.

Mr. Lamy's proposals go beyond existing demands by the EU, the US and some other countries for negotiations in the Doha trade round on improving transparency in government procurement and streamlining customs procedures, particularly in poorer countries. Although the demands have received some support from poorer WTO members, they have become enmeshed in a bitter dispute over parallel calls by the EU and Japan for rules on investment and competition. The commissioner said the WTO at present lacked "the autonomy to make an institutional statement against corruption". Mr. Lamy was speaking at an award ceremony for Peter Eigen, chairman of Transparency International, the anti-corruption watchdog, who supported the initiative. Mr. Lamy said corruption could add up to 20 per cent to the cost of public purchasing. He suggested business would have to accept that the WTO might impose "obligations on companies, be they on corruption or other issues".

From Financial Times, UK, by Hugh Williamson in Berlin and Guy de Jonquières, 9 January 2004

PM to Chair Presidential Anti-corruption Council Next 6 Months

Moscow - Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov will chair the presidential anti-corruption council for the next six months, ITAR-TASS reported Monday. Kasyanov's candidacy was proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin at Monday's meeting of the council and was unanimously supported by its members. Putin suggested a six-month rotation for the chairman of the council. Putin said that anti-corruption measures have so far been ineffective and demanded that the anti-corruption council, created late last year, be turned into a fully working body as soon as possible. The council was established November 24. The exact tasks and objectives of this institution are not completely clear.

From PRIME-TASS, Russia, 12 January 2004

Putin Moots Anti-corruption Drive

Moscow - Ahead of the presidential polls in March, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced a drive to curb corruption in the country, blaming the flaws of economic and administrative system for the social scourge. "It's obvious that the corruption is closely linked with different forms of misuse of power on all its levels," Putin said unveiling the newly set up anti-corruption body at the Kremlin. Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov has been appointed rotating chairman of the Presidential Consultative Council on combating corruption. Chairmen of Russia's Constitution, Supreme and Arbitration Courts, Speakers of the two Houses of the Parliament are also members of the body. Corruption demoralises the society, decays the authorities and state apparatus, Putin said. "The roots of corruption are in the inherent flaws in the structure of economic and administrative life, are nourished by bad quality of legislation and expand in the absence of an effective control on the activities of the officials, state and municipal bodies," Putin said in his televised statement ahead of the polls on March 14.

From Times of India, India, 12 January 2004

Kasyanov Heads Putin Anti-Corruption Council

Moscow - The President's Anti-Corruption Council held its first meeting here today. Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov is overall chief of the President's Council. Deputy Prime Minister Boris Aleshin will head the anti-corruption panel of the President's Anti-Corruption Council. Dmitri Kozak, first deputy head of the presidential administration, made the announcement, adding that he, Kozak, will head the panel on official ethics. Kozak emphasized that the council will not duplicate the work of law enforcement and will not investigate particular crimes. He said it will seek the root causes for the perceived rise in corruption. The panel on official ethics will look into questions of conflicts of interest as faced by appointees of the president and the government.

From Russia Journal, Russia, 12 January 2004

Corruption Council Invites Ministers to Meeting

Belgrade - Friday - Serbia's Anti-Corruption Council has invited the outgoing prime minister and cabinet members to meet today to discuss the council's report on privatisation in Serbia. Council president Verica Barac told media that cabinet members were welcome at all regular meetings. "All our sittings are open to members of the government so that they take part in debates," she said. Today's agenda will be headed by the controversial report on privatisation which alleges a lack of transparency in the process. The council will also discuss appointing legal officers to defend its members against criminal complaints.

From B92, Yugoslavia, 16 January 2004

Saakashvili Again Promises War on Corruption

Tbilisi - Georgian president-elect Mikhail Saakashvili reaffirmed on Friday that he plans to crack down on corruption. "All officials who have plundered the national treasury must go to prison and return to the people what they have stolen," Saakashvili told a news conference in Tbilisi. Such officials may receive milder sentences if they give back the money they misappropriated, he said. "It is much more problematic for us when mafiosi are in prison, while all the property they have plundered is at large," he said. Saakashvili said he planned to ask Russia to extradite Levan Mamaladze, a former presidential representative in the Kvemo Kartli region, who is wanted by the Georgian police. Georgian Soccer Federation President Merab Zhordania returned 742,000 lari to the state after imprisonment, and so no further criminal actions are planned against him, Saakashvili said. Akaki Chkheidze, a former general director of the Georgian Railways company who is accused of embezzlement of state funds and tax evasion, was arrested in Batumi on Friday.

From Interfax, Georgia, 19 January 2004

Reforming Israel's Culture of Corruption

The daily newspaper headlines ring out, "Sharon Get's Questionable Loan." Israeli television news tells us, "Former Prime Minister Barak Investigated For Phony Organizations." The radio blasts, "Knesset Members Accused Of Double Voting." Israeli Internet sites let us know that, "Former Knesset Member investigated for bribery during primaries." Well they're politicians, so what do you expect? Then every so often the Central Bureau of Statistics reminds us that the heads of companies in Israel - including state owned companies - are making gosh awful lots of money. But who cares? The workers at the Electric and Water companies are the highest paid salaried workers in Israel - about twice the national average and three times the salary of teachers - and they are public regulated utilities. Don't forget that the workers at Israel Electric Corp. also get free, unlimited electricity to boot. Now you know why electricity prices keep rising in Israel. But hey, they're unionized! Speaking of unions, Israel's large trade union - the Histadrut - has been threatening a general strike for several months already, due to the Israeli government's economic reform plan. Recently Finance Minister Netanyahu proposed introducing legislation that would require any strike action be brought before the union membership for a vote before being initiated, as is standard in the US and elsewhere.

Well, Histadrut head Amir Peretz in typical demagogic fashion went on television and screamed how Netanyahu was trying to break the union. It made a lot of news for a couple days. And then, on Israel TV's show, "Politika," a Likud Knesset member read the Histadrut by-laws that clearly said that any strike action needs to be approved by the membership through a vote. Israel's trade union - for decades connected to the Labor Party - has never been observing its own rules. Industrial democracy in Israel is a farce. A small clique of oligarchs have run the union from the start, making the decision to strike or not, to accept the terms of a new agreement or not, as if it was their private fiefdom, without the workers, i.e. members permission. A general strike, by the way, would cause major damage to Israel's economy. Israel for decades has had one of the highest number of annual strike days in the world. It's estimated that the threatened strike could cost the economy 2.5 billion shekels/day (that's about $550 million/day). But whose counting? Certainly not the Bank of Israel, according to a senior bank official's recent "leak" ahead of a Finance Ministry report on central bank wage practices. Details of payments and bonuses for central bank staffers are generally difficult to acquire due to the bank's practice of obfuscation over employment conditions.

For example it was learned, the Governor of the Bank of Israel, David Klein, received an "efficiency bonus" of some 80,000 shekels in 2000, his first year heading the central bank, for his work as a senior official the previous year. The issue of "efficiency" bonuses has recently been a hot topic, and it has even reached the labor courts due to the annulment of the bonus, which was paid quarterly to bank workers, by the Finance Ministry's Wages Director Yuval Rachlevsky. Senior bank employees, are among the best paid in the public sector, they received an average efficiency bonus of 64,000 shekels a year until mid-2002, when Rachlevsky put an end to the practice. Senior bank staffers also get a company car, which they are free to use for their personal use. However, they are also paid a monthly "car maintenance" fee for the vehicle's upkeep. Such a payment is usually made to civil servants who have to use their own vehicles for work purposes. It's just another perk, at the Bank of Israel, I guess. There isn't just scandal at the national political level in Israel, but in local politics as well. A new 22-page report, issued by the Finance Ministry, accuses the Jerusalem Municipality of overpaying at least 80 senior employees millions of shekels/month, in contravention of the law and past agreements with the Treasury.

The newly elected mayor has appointed six deputies at the enormous monthly salary of 40,000 shekels each. Under public pressure, because of a growing budget deficit and a planned 3% property tax hike, the Jerusalem Municipality spokesman recently announced that a planned 5% cut in the salaries of the deputy mayors would be carried out. But a 5% wage cut would leave them with a monthly salary of 38,000 shekels, five and a half times the average wage in Israel. This, at a time when there is near-record unemployment, a long recession, and serious national government budget cuts. Don't worry, later it was learned that the deputy mayors turned the proposal down. All this is the "norm" in Israel. Distorted wage levels, massive perks, breaking rules; sounds to me like a third-world country. Israel as I've said many times before, is NOT an information society. Although politically democratic, with a mixed economy leaning further and further toward free enterprise, Israel lacks a culture of transparency and accountability. This inability to find out information leads to cronyism - in Israel called "protectzia" - protection. For example, someone has a friend, who "knows" someone else that can get you a job. No public tender for the position in a local government office, no need to "apply" and take tests for civil service, just go meet Mr. X. A couple of years ago, I was reading something and came across a description of the British civil service's bureaucratic culture. The operative phrase was, "need to know."

That is, give out as little information as possible to the public or other levels of the bureaucracy, or even limit information to politicians. Share information only on a "need to know" basis. Suddenly, I realized, many of the "Israeli evils" were in fact probably leftovers from the British Mandate days, that ubiquitous "Israeli mentality". Where else would Israel have learned bureaucratic culture, if not from the British Mandate Administration? Oh yes, most immigrants to the mandate or later Israel, until at least the 1960's, were either from Eastern Europe - Soviet Russia, Poland, Romania, etc. - or, the Arab Middle East and North Africa, also not great bastions of democracy and transparency. The culture of corruption in Israel, is probably not due to some "genetic" weakness of Israelis, but has a lot to due with a lack of transparent institutions and accountability. Now for the reason that I decided to write this article... Breezing through the news recently, I read an article on "corruption" in the non-profit sector. What disappoints me is that these are the people who provide vital non-governmental health, education, and welfare services. These are the organizations that help the weak, but are getting fat by doing so. The article based on a leaked Interior Ministry report, described the exaggerated salaries of the top officials in the non-profit sector.

The Efrati Committee completed this report almost a year ago. And to make maters worse, it's been presented to Interior Minister Avraham Poraz - from the Shinui Party - whose free market and clean government election campaign, seems a distant memory. Poraz hasn't done anything to implement the recommendations of the report yet. Surprised? There are about 13,000 Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) or Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Israel. In some, salaries of the three top officials make up 50% of total expenditures. In the majority of organizations the report said, salaries make up about 80% of expenses. Anyone familiar with business, the non-profit sector, and economy in modern western democracies today, should realize that this flagrant theft. People donate money to organizations to help the poor, to further social or ideological goals - like environmental protection or Cancer research - not to line the pockets of top management. The Efrati Committee document recommended that organizational overheads should constitute only between 7 to 20 percent of total expenditures, thus the vast majority of donations would be to further the purposes of the organization. Public monies from tax revenue are also being misused, since some NPOs receive state funds in addition to private donations.

To better understand the next section, assume a shekel-dollar conversion rate of about 4.5 to 1. While the average salary in Israel - now about 7,000 shekels/month - has been falling for at least a year due to the recession, the government in its budget-balancing "cut-and-slash" reform plan has been cutting social welfare transfer payments to the weakest sectors of society - who live on 1,500-3,500 shekels/month. At the same time, the top employees at hospitals, think-tanks, women's organizations, organizations to help the handicapped (soldiers and elderly), Yeshivas - rabbinical seminaries - and Kibbutz educational centers are earning 35,000-130,000 shekels/month - an average of 50-70,000 shekels/month - or about 5 to 20 times the average wage in Israel, and as much as 20 to 90 times as much as the poor for whom they collect money to help (at least the corruption is universal). Something sounds desperately wrong. Certainly, transparent reporting to the public would have helped prevent these outrages. Who would donate money to an organization, where you know that the head earns 63,000 shekels/month - that's over 750,000 shekels in a year - and the three top officials make up 50% of the organizations total expenses? I know I wouldn't. In all fairness, this type of over-inflated salary issue occurs in other places also. Several years ago, the head of the United Way, a huge charitable organization in the US, had to step down after his excessively high salary was made public.

And just recently, the top official of the New York Stock Exchange quit after his extortionately high salary was discovered. But in general, these are exceptions rather than the rule. By the way, none of the Israeli directors are quitting or apologizing or retuning the money. Israel, in this regard is a good 30 years behind America in this element of non-profit management. High salaries and operating expenses that ate up most of the donor money were common in America in former days, but with the explosion of competition in the "social sector" in the last couple of decades, organizations have had to become more efficient in their delivery of services. Transparent accounting has contributed to this. Big donors today, are more involved than ever, with the organizations they contribute to, and they don't want to "waste" their money. Non-profits in America today are run much more like a business, they "compete" for donor money, trying to prove how small a percentage is used for salaries, general office and running expenses. They've learned to uses their resources more efficiently. Top non-profit organizations today in America, claim to put upwards of 90% of their operating budget directly into providing the aid and services they exist for. Contrast that with Israeli NPOs, who spend 80% of their budget on salaries. Rather than provide services, they provide fat-cat jobs to the privileged few.

If Israel wants to enter the 21st century of developed nations, democratic, freedom loving with free economies, it has to reform itself. FM Netanyahu is on track when he talks about legislation guaranteeing the democratization of the Histadrut. Imagine if Israel hadn't been shackled with strikes for decades, how much larger the economy would have grown. And Netanyahu's economic reform plan, that includes trimming social welfare benefits and the public sector, in general is surely needed. But when people are receiving less social welfare benefits from the government, the social sector, NPOs, need to pick up the slack. Israeli NPOs aren't doing anything wrong according to Israel's culture of corruption, but to meet the demands that will be put on them in the years to come, they will need to reform. Cutting fat-cat salaries and increasing the use of volunteer labor, to enable them to devote larger percentages to delivery of services, is just one element toward greater efficiency. Israeli opinion leaders, whether in politics, business, sports, the arts, and yes the non-profit sector, must change their behaviors.

Trustfulness, not lies and deception; accountability, not flight from responsibility; openness and transparency, not secretiveness; maybe even modesty rather than extravagance, must become the norms of Israeli society. In areas like business, where new wealth is created, there is some room for higher salaries, but in the public and social sectors, where there is no economic productivity, how can they be justified? It's true that the US and European business worlds have been shaken lately with financial accounting scandals, such as WorldCom, Enron, Vivendi, and Parmalat, but again these are exceptions. Look at how serious US President Bush, American legislators, academia, and the media have criticized the situation. Attempts to root-out that type of behavior have engulfed America. Political and financial scandals occur the world over, but why so often in Israel? A couple sparks of light in the darkness... As of January 1st, Israeli banks will have to - by law - inform customers of most banking charges they will incur for an action before it is executed. That is, transparency in their service charges.

Imagine, until now banks didn't legally have to provide customers with a list of charges for different transactions, or inform them of the reason for the cost, the exact sum, how it was calculated, and the date of their payment. It's a small victory for accountability and consumer protection. And, there is a small but growing trend in corporate Israel toward social responsibility. Israeli private companies are beginning to get into community and philanthropic activities. Hopefully this trend will continue and grow. It might even eventually impact on how NPOs are managed. Israel must reform itself until scandal and corruption are an exception like elsewhere, not the way things are done. Lack of transparency and accountability, and rampant corruption in business and public life must not be ignored, tolerated, or worse, quietly praised, for someone's ability "to get more for himself or herself". Success in the modern global economy requires reform, stability in Israel's society necessitates reform, and Jewish ethics and tradition demand reforming Israel's "Culture of Corruption". Ariel Natan Pasko is an independent analyst & consultant. He has a Master's Degree in International Relations & Policy Analysis. His articles appear regularly on numerous news/views and think-tank websites, in newspapers, and can be read at: www.geocities.com/ariel_natan_pasko

From SierraTimes.com, by Ariel Natan Pasko, 5 January 2004

Corruption Bites North and South

I hadn't given much thought to the question of whether Louisiana does or does not have foliage. Our greenery is abundant and obvious. But last month, we were confronted with a vicious allegation that strikes at the very heart of our fauna community. We have been accused of not having foliage. This besmirching of our green name came up in a discussion of the corruption scandal involving Connecticut Gov. John Rowland. Rowland has confessed to allowing a company that does business with the state to do renovation work on his home. Rowland did not pay for the work, and he has since admitted he lied about this unethical arrangement when he had been asked about it. Bill Curry, who twice lost to Rowland in races for the governor's mansion, has made it his business to remind the public of Rowland's corruption. He has done so at our expense. "We were the Constitution State," Curry said in an interview last month with the Hartford Courant. "We were the home of New England town meeting democracy, and now we're Louisiana with foliage."

The Punchline State - Once again, Louisiana is the butt of a biting joke about public corruption. But in light of the scandals in Connecticut, it'd be difficult to say we're more corrupt than they. Paul J. Silvester, Connecticut's former state treasurer, pleaded guilty to racketeering and money laundering charges in 1999. He's been singing like a bird since, claiming he didn't steal alone. Rowland's former deputy chief of staff, Lawrence Alibozek, pleaded guilty in March to accepting an unspecified amount of cash and gold coins in return for influencing state contracts. Rowland's former co-chief of staff, Peter Ellef, was forced out as chairman of the state trash authority after the agency lost about $200 million in public money in a deal with the current poster child for corporate corruption, Enron. Less than honorable - It is true that our state officials have sometimes been less than honorable.

For example, our last three insurance commissioners have ended up in jail. Last year, we learned that Charlie DeWitt, a state representative, accepted an interest in a pair of race horses from the owners of the Fair Grounds while he also was advocating a lot of pro-gambling legislation in the Legislature. Our critics might point out that Bob Odom, our agriculture commissioner, is under indictment for allegedly receiving bribes in exchange for fixing a warehouse contract, filing false tax returns, laundering campaign contributions through his church, and stealing pine seedlings from the state Department of Agriculture. We are not strangers to allegations of public corruption. But I feel compelled to respond to Curry's irresponsible remarks on behalf of our state's irises and roses, cypress and oak trees. To Curry, I would declare in the strongest possible terms, we do too have foliage!

From Times Picayune, LA, by Lolis Eric Elie, 2 January 2004

Latin Delegates, U.S., Clash over Corruption

Monterrey, Mexico - U.S. and Latin American negotiators clashed yesterday over the issue of corruption in the hemisphere as U.S. President George W. Bush prepared to arrive at a summit that is increasingly hostile toward Washington's plans for the region. Latin American delegates put up stiff resistance to proposals by both the U.S. and Canadian governments to put corruption on the agenda for the Summit of the Americas, which begins today in Monterrey, Mexico's second-largest city and economic powerhouse. The U.S. position got a boost last night from Prime Minister Paul Martin, who said poverty cannot be tackled seriously without first addressing corruption. "You're not going to deal with the social and economic problems in the Western hemisphere unless you deal with corruption," Mr. Martin told reporters. With leaders from 34 countries set to open talks this afternoon, negotiators were also deadlocked on the timetable for free-trade talks and a plan to set up a fund to fight poverty in the Americas. Officials said the mood for the two-day summit was tense because economic recession and political unrest have gripped Latin America since the leaders adopted a wide-ranging economic, political and social program at the last summit in Quebec City in 2001.

Popular revolts against free trade and market-oriented economic policies have shaken several countries and forced the presidents of Argentina and Bolivia to resign. Several Latin leaders are reluctant to approve a hemispheric free-trade agreement without mechanisms for ensuring that its benefits are equitably distributed. They feel Washington's anti-corruption agenda is politically motivated as a tool to exclude leaders who are out of favour with the United States. "Expectations have not been met, that's fair," Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham said in an interview yesterday. "People do expect to see leaders commit to a program that recognizes that it's not just about lowering tariff barriers." A source familiar with the talks said they were more fractious than those at the Quebec summit. "It's not as constructive, because the hemisphere is in bad shape," the source said. Canada pushed for the interim Monterrey meeting as a way of injecting fresh momentum into political and economic reform initiatives between the Quebec City summit and another scheduled for Argentina next year. Nearly half the leaders who took part at Quebec City have resigned, finished their terms or been voted out of office.

Several new presidents, including Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Argentina's Nestor Kirchner, have signalled a desire to stake out greater economic and political independence from the U.S. The 24-hour summit will be the first since the U.S.-led war against Iraq, which was supported by only seven of the 34 countries represented. Mr. Bush, who arrives in Monterrey today, is scheduled to hold two-way talks with Mr. Martin, Mexican President Vicente Fox, Mr. da Silva, Mr. Kirchner and Bolivian President Carlos Mesa, as well as participate in group talks. A U.S. proposal for tough anti-corruption measures emerged over the weekend as the most contentious issue in haggling over the wording of a final summit declaration. High-minded vows to battle corruption are a dime a dozen in Latin America, and rarely have much impact. Sources said the negotiators have agreed to deny asylum to bribe-payers and bribe-takers, and to freeze their assets. But Latin American negotiators rebuffed a U.S. proposal to bar countries that failed to live up to the commitment from future summits and other meetings sponsored by the Organization of American States.

They asked who would judge whether the standards had been met. According to one source, the proposal recalled U.S. decisions to deny aid to countries it declared were not taking tough enough measures against drug trafficking. This so-called "certification process" is considered demeaning by many in the region. Mr. Graham said there was "very good language" in the declaration and he hoped it would zero in on countries where corruption is pervasive. Latin Americans resent Washington's "holier-than-thou attitude" on corruption following revelations about U.S. corporate wrongdoing, said Donald MacKay, executive director of the Canadian Foundation for the Americas. "A good portion of it is not so much the objectives but how the U.S. decides to pursue its policies," he said. Negotiators were also at an impasse on Venezuela's call for a special fund to relieve persistent poverty. Brazil, meanwhile, was also battling over a reference to free-trade talks in the proposed declaration. It would reiterate a long-standing commitment to bring a hemispheric trade pact into effect on Jan. 1, 2005 - a goal that looks increasingly difficult to reach.

From The Globe and Mail, Canada, by Paul Knox, 12 January 2004

Public Corruption Probe Widens

A state grand jury investigation into voter fraud and official misconduct could be over. In its place, the powerful linking of arms of county, state and federal prosecutors could bring Lake County its most substantial focus on public corruption in decades. The Post-Tribune has learned a news conference regarding this realignment is planned for next week in Hammond. U.S. Attorney Joseph Van Bokkelen, Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter and Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter are set to announce the sharing of resources and manpower in a broad, countywide investigation. They will make a similar announcement in Indianapolis. Sources said the joint effort is coming about because the inquiry paths of the state grand jury were beginning to overlap with ongoing federal investigations. Sources also said the sharing of resources could lead quickly to another substantial wave of public corruption indictments from Van Bokkelen's office. Sources said in the last two weeks, state investigators have been in the Lake County election office at least four times.

Each time, they have served subpoenas, conducted interviews and left with records. Those records are believed to be at Van Bokkelen's office. Van Bokkelen, the Indiana attorney general and the Lake County prosecutor were all out of the office Thursday and could not be reached for comment. A spokeswoman for Steve Carter said, "Nothing is available to discuss right now," declining to listen to questions about a potential change in investigative direction. Steve Carter and Bernard Carter were believed to be at a judicial conference in Indianapolis on Thursday. A state grand jury investigation scheduled to be led by their offices on Thursday did not take place. This was the second straight week that the state grand jury activity was postponed. On Jan. 8, people subpoenaed were told to return Thursday. But this week, those witnesses were notified that they would not have to come on Thursday.

They were not told when, or if, they would be called back. That grand jury has been seated for four months, investigating the hundreds of documented cases of voter fraud in the May primaries. Yet in that time, the grand jury has indicted just two people - an elderly couple from Hobart who voted in East Chicago's primary. In a joint news conference last year, both Carters indicated they expected several people to be indicted and they expected indictments to come quickly. They haven't. But sources also said the grand jury investigation has splintered into several directions, leading to this point of cooperation with Van Bokkelen. Van Bokkelen has had a grand jury impaneled since 2002, solely to investigate claims of public corruption. The state grand jury, meanwhile, was formed in response to the well-publicized cases of voter fraud. But in forming that grand jury, both Carters indicated the jurors would also focus on official misconduct.

Dozens of politically connected Lake County residents were notified they were targets of the investigation, but no one with political connections has been indicted so far. From the variety of people being called to testify in recent weeks, it is apparent to observers that the state grand jury has moved away from voter fraud and toward misconduct. Specifically, investigators have been focusing on the operations of the Schererville Town Court, under the direction of Judge Deborah Riga. State investigators hauled away boxes of records from the court on Jan. 2, two days after Riga's term ended. She had won the seat in May thanks to voter fraud. Later, a judge overturned her victory. It is believed the focus on fraud in the Schererville case has led to other investigations. Many of the people subpoenaed last week, and again this week, were called because of their relationships to Schererville's court and its contractors.

From Gary Post Tribune, IN, by Steve Patterson, 16 January 2004

Another Formidable Resource in Fighting Public Corruption

The issue: The FBI - Our opinion: With elections this year, a federal investigation of voter fraud will put crooked politicians on notice that this hanky-panky is a bad idea. Added muscle is about to be flexed to investigate allegations of systematic vote-buying and potential collusion of election officials in last year's primary elections in East Chicago and Schererville. The FBI has joined the hunt. The bureau and the U.S. Attorney's office join Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter, the Indiana State Police and Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter on the trail of likely shenanigans in the primary elections. This is welcome news. The more investigative skills applied to the task of weeding out public corruption here, the better. Much work has already been done, but the involvement of the FBI, with its formidable resources and power, could quicken the pace. A special grant jury jointly conducted by the two Carters has spent months investigating the allegations.

So far, the only indictments have been of an elderly Hobart Township couple, on allegations they illegally cast absentee ballots for incumbent East Chicago Mayor Robert Pastrick even though they live outside East Chicago. Then there is the framework assembled during two recount trials, in the Democratic primary races for the nomination for East Chicago mayor and for Schererville town judge. Special Lake Superior Court Judge Steven King last summer issued a 104-page opinion in the recount trial for the East Chicago Democratic primary. He called incumbent Mayor Robert Pastrick's victory a "textbook example of chicanery," but determined that Pastrick had enough votes to win even after 155 votes were tossed.

In the other recount case, Lake Superior Court Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura issued a 45-page ruling chastising Robert Grkinich, campaign worker for incumbent Judge Deborah Riga, for "illegal, deliberate actions" to either forge or fabricate 23 absentee ballots. Riga, like Pastrick, was named the winner only after absentee ballots were counted. In the recount trial, Bonaventura named Riga challenger Kenneth Anderson the winner after tossing the 23 ballots. U.S. Attorney Joseph Van Bokkelen convinced the U.S. Justice Department in Washington to get the FBI involved. Give him credit for that move. Attorney General Carter, a Republican, moved swiftly to join the probe when Prosecutor Carter, a Democrat, sought his help. It is truly unique and welcome that a bipartisan investigation is taking place to right any wrongs. A side benefit will be that with federal, state and county races on the ballot this year, a federal investigation of voter fraud will put crooked politicians on notice that this hanky-panky is a bad idea.

From Munster Times, IN, 19 January 2004

City Manager Style of Government 'Supports Citizen Control'

The Council-Manager form of government was developed in the early-to-mid 20th century in an attempt to take politics out of city management decisions and substitute for it professional management experience. It was seen as an alternative to big machine politics, such as in Tammany Hall, New York, and in Chicago. The city manager is trained, for example, in NIU's Public Administration Program, in the many workings of city services including planning, budgeting, fire, police, street, water, zoning services as well as community development. The movement has been defended vociferously over time by the DeKalb County League of Women Voters. Elizabeth Bass, LWV member and former president, noted the council-manager form of government has been a priority for the League for decades "because it supports citizen control. "Every time the council-manager concept has been threatened in DeKalb, people from throughout the community have supported it," Bass said.

In the council-manager form, an elected city council (usually 5-11 members) is responsible for making policy, passing ordinances, voting appropriations, and having overall supervisory authority in city government. In such a system, the mayor performs mostly ceremonial duties and acts as a member and presiding officer of the council. The council hires a manager or administrator who will be responsible for supervising government operations and implementing the policies adopted by the council. The manager serves at the pleasure of the council, usually with a contract that specifies duties and responsibilities. Ideally, the manager is apolitical, but in actuality, there are few purist systems. Carol Zar, executive director of the Illinois City and County Managers' Association, based in DeKalb, said a master's degree in public administration has become the "union card" for professionals in the field. "Folks who are active in our association, almost without exception, have a public administration master's degree."

The three largest degree programs in the state are at NIU and at Southern Illinois University, both Carbondale and Edwardsville. Whereas, a few years ago, the tenure of city managers was fairly short because of conflicts over issues within a city, many today have remained with their community 10-15, even 20 years, Zar said. "On a national basis, tenure has lengthened." Zar said exceptions are "widely diverse communities with a lot of growth pressure." Typical roles and responsibilities of a city manager include: supervising day-to-day operations of all city departments; supervising the department heads; preparing a draft city budget each year with options the council votes on; researching and making recommendations about topics of interest to the council; meeting with citizens and citizen groups to understand their needs better; providing executive leadership that encourages good performance by city workers; and operating the city with a professional understanding of how all city functions operate together.

From MidWeek, IL, 21 January 2004

Corruption Focus of Davos Economic Summit

Davos, Switzerland - U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft on Thursday urged countries that rallied against terrorism after Sept. 11 to unite again to fight corruption, which is estimated to cost the world economy more than $2 trillion US every year. In a speech to the World Economic Forum, Ashcroft attacked government officials who pocket payoffs and deprive their people of money for better roads, cleaner water and more modern schools. "We are winning the war on terrorism," he said, but corruption is threatening "the capacity of business and government to work together to end the plague of poverty and expand human achievement." The World Bank estimates the cost of corruption represents about seven per cent of the annual world economy. The sum, roughly $2.3 trillion US, is equal to the entire U.S. federal budget, Ashcroft told more than 100 participants at a private lunch during the annual five-day meeting. The forum involves 2,100 people from 94 countries, including some of the world's richest businessmen and top thinkers. Many government leaders, including Prime Minister Paul Martin, are also attending.

On the business side, leaders tackled the thorny issue of how to resist pressure to distort company earnings - one factor cited in the scandal involving energy trader Enron. In a discussion between the heads of major corporations, the practice of rewarding top executives with stock options was both praised and blamed, depending on how those options are structured. Options that pay off in the short term can push executives to cut corners and pump up quarterly earnings to satisfy the market, while long-term options can promote better strategic thinking, panel members said. "It's the best thing or the worst thing, depending on how you use it," said Bertrand Collomb, chairman of French building materials company Lafarge. Pressure from stock markets is widely considered one of the factors contributing to corporate accounting scandals such as the collapse of Enron. European officials have been confronted with a mushrooming scandal of their own in the collapse of Italian dairy giant Parmalat, a company with extensive holdings in Canada.

Corporate governance and ethics have assumed a more prominent role at the gathering with the passage of U.S. legislation - the Sarbanes-Oxley Act - imposing new accountability on companies and executives. In another development, the head of the World Trade Organization warned that bilateral trade agreements can prove damaging to global attempts to forge a trade liberalization. "Nobody knows the real effect: (Politicians) just like to go and sign them," Supachai Panitchpakdi, director-general of the WTO, said during a panel discussion. There are nearly 300 separate trade agreements between countries and groups of countries around the world, and almost 100 more are under negotiation. Among the biggest is the North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico. Supachai slammed a "bandwagon effect" that makes countries start negotiating the agreements because all their neighbours are doing the same. "You just can't afford to stay out of it," he said.

Critics claim the agreements make it hard for countries to agree on a global deal. They also fear that the deals don't increase trade but simply divert it from other countries that are not part of the agreement. Supachai said the amount of time, effort and money that has been put into small trade agreements could have given a huge boost to the global trade deal that the WTO is trying to revive. However, Brazil's trade minister, Luis Fernando Furlan, said individual trade deals should be encouraged because they lay the ground for a global treaty. "We believe it is a kind of college before the university," he said. Brazil and its trading partners in the Mercosur grouping have deals with countries across the world and are working on more. Some 20 to 24 government ministers were expected to meet on the sidelines of the forum Friday to discuss ways to get negotiations between the WTO's 146 members back on track. They had committed themselves to completing a treaty by the end of this year, but look likely to miss that deadline.

From Calgary Sun, Canada, by Edith M. Lederer, 23 January 2004

Absence of Civil Servants from Work Deplored

Mr. William Krakani, First National Trustee of the Civil Servants Association of Ghana (CSAG) has deplored the trend among some Civil Servants to wilfully absent themselves from work after long holidays. He was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Friday on the generally low attendance of workers at the Ministries at Ho. Mr. Krakani, who is a Principal Development Officer of the Department of Social Welfare, said the Government in widely circulated announcement had expressly stated which days of the week were non-working days. "In any case we all know it and there is nothing to explain the mass absence from work except the pervasive attitude among us to take Government business for granted", he said. Mr. Krakani observed that it was disappointing for clients to go to offices to transact businesses and find to desks empty.

He observed that unattractive wages and poor logistics in the Civil Service were not tangible reasons for flagrant abuse of the trust of their employers. Generally workers in Ho reported for work in trickles and as at 9000 hours when the GNA went round most offices had not opened for business. At the Regional Office of the National Youth Council (NYC), Mr. Ransford Ocloo, Regional Youth Coordinator, expressed misgivings about the practice but complained that his staff had not yet received their December salaries. He said staffs at the NYC District Office in Kete-Krachi as at the time of the visit were yet to receive their November salaries. At the Ghana Education Service (GES) Regional Office, workers were standing in groups and chatting. Mr. Hickson George Tome, Public Relations Officer of GES, said work was going on normally and that it should be expected that after long holidays there would be some socialisation among workers before they settled down for serious business.

From GhanaWeb, Ghana, 2 January 2004

Retired Civil Servants Assured of Care

Accra - Dr. Glover Quartey, Head of Civil Service, on Monday said the Service would continue to care for retired civil servants to ensure that they enjoyed their last few years on earth. He gave the assurance on a visit to the longest surviving retired Civil Servant in the country, Mr. Mark Dick Abloh, who clocked 100 years on July 17, 2003. Dr. Quartey said the visit to Mr. Abloh "is to reinforce our conviction that those who served this country with dedication and faithfulness in their capacity as Civil Servants, should not be made to feel abandoned and forgotten." He said the Service was committed to finding all retired civil servants and joining them to celebrate their milestones in life. Mr. Quartey congratulated Mr. Abloh for chalking a five scores, which he noted, was very rare among retired Civil Servants, saying; "we will follow your progress on daily basis and provide the necessary assistance for your family to take good care of you". He presented a food hamper, Christmas card and a sum of one million cedis to Mr. Abloh, who is suffering from a mild stroke and has speech difficulties.

Ms. Ophilia Abloh, the third of five daughters of Mr. Abloh, said it was acknowledged that the good works of dedicated Civil Servants would follow them when they grow old. Mr. Abloh, born July 17, 1903, joined the Civil Service as a Fourth Class Clerk on March 16, 1921 and retired at age of 55 as an Administrative Officer Class three at the Ministry of Trade and Industries on July 16, 1958. He retired with commendable remarks reading: "Highly satisfactory and Exemplary" on his retirement certificate issued on December 3, 1958. The centenarian was married to the late Georgina Abloh and they had two sons, who are deceased, and five daughters. He has 31 grandchildren and 37 great grandchildren. This is the first time in the history of the Civil Service that the Head of Civil Service had visited the longest surviving retired Civil Servant and presented gifts to him.

From GhanaWeb, Ghana, 5 January 2004

Don Condemns Planned Massive Downsizing of Federal Civil Service

Lagos - A political economist and senior Lecturer, Political Science Department, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Dr. Abubakar Momoh has warned that the planned massive downsizing of the federal civil service by the government as a way of reducing cost of governance is only a goose chase. Dr. Momoh argued that the exercise would only affect administrative overhead or cost, stressing that most of the bleeding and wastage in the economy were centred around over-bloated federal executive council and uncontrollable extra-budgetary spending by the executive. In a key note address at the 7th National Delegates Conference of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) held in Kano, Kano state he noted that no form of poverty alleviation or eradication would succeed without the state taking charge of key sectors like energy. According to Dr. Momoh: "Today, government has destroyed all public schools in order to promote private schools. Soon we shall hear about government-owned universities being privatised. Already the universities have been urged to be "financially autonomous," a euphemism for charging tuition and levies. It is clear that it is the children of the poor who constitute two-thirds of those that attend public universities. "I am contending that poverty alleviation cannot succeed where government is wrecking more hardship on the people."

From AllAfrica.com, Africa, by Victor Ahiuma-Young, 5 January 2004

Ex-Intelligence Boss Broke Civil Service Rules

Nairobi - Former Intelligence Chief James Kanyotu contravened Civil Service regulations by engaging in private business while in public service, the Commission into the Goldenberg Inquiry was told yesterday. A Senior Principal Personnel Officer in the Office of the President Mrs. Miriam Tsingui Ngonze told the Inquiry that according to Civil Service Regulations (section G1,) no civil servant was allowed to engage in private business. She said a civil servant could only do so if he had written permission from the Permanent Secretary, Office of the President. But in the case of Kanyotu, no such permission exists in his employment files which show that he began as an Inspector of Police, Grade 1 in 1959. The Inquiry has, however, received evidence that Kanyotu was a director of four business concerns which engaged in business related in one way or another with one another before he retired from the Civil Service on January 27, 1993. These were Goldenberg International Ltd, Exchange Bank Ltd, First American Bank Ltd and an air charter company that imported gold dust from Bunia, Zaire.

From AllAfrica.com, Africa, by Athman Amran, Eliud Miring'uh and Biketi Kikechi, 9 January 2004

State Can't Pay Civil Servants

Bangui - Civil servants in the Central African Republic will not be paid on time this month, because the government does not have the means to do so. Finance Minister Mohamed Mahadi Marboua said yesterday: "The state does not have the means to pay the salaries on time. There is no point in our compatriots pacing up and down in their bank branches. "The state has real problems: it had earmarked a maximum of resources, with outside help, since the end of April for paying salaries, but the difficulties persist." CAR has been led by an interim government since April, a month after backers of General Francois Bozize toppled president Ange Felix Patasse in a bloodless coup. While state workers' wages were initially paid on time, civil servants' salaries have come in late since August.

From The Star, Africa, 9 January 2004

Civil Servants Won't Tighten Their Belts Any Further, Says Hikaumba

Lusaka - Civil servants will not tighten their belts any further, Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Leonard Hikaumba has said. Reacting to labour minister Lt Col Patrick Kafumukache's announcement that the government would effect a wage freeze on civil servants' salaries for the first six months of this year, Hikaumba advised government leaders to lead by example and sacrifice as well. "For the past few years, we have been given increments based on the principle of sacrifice because government wanted to qualify for Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief," he said. He said the unions were not told about the steps that would follow after Zambia had qualified for the HIPC debt relief. "We were told that after we qualify for HIPC, things would be better," he said. Hikaumba said that the union had recommended to the government that they be part of the negotiating team when discussing conditions with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank but that had not happened. "We have not been accorded audience but when it comes to implementation they want us to comply. Now we say no to complying with these conditions since we were not part of the negotiations," he said.

"Time for us to sacrifice has gone, we are already sacrificing," he said. One of the conditions for Zambia to reach the HIPC completion point was to spend only eight percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on personal emoluments. "When they talk about eight percent of GDP, we don't know how it was arrived at and what conditions were taken into consideration," he said. "It's just a figure they gave us that we don't understand. It would make great sense if they involved us in one way or the other." "We were told that leaders' salaries would be reduced but they haven't. Why has it taken so long?" He said it was not fair for the government to ask civil servants to sacrifice when they themselves would not. "They want us to sacrifice when they are not ready to do the same. We would have seen them refunding to government," he said. Hikaumba said civil servants were equally not ready to be subjected to further sacrifice. "We don't want to be sacrificial lambs for their shortcomings," he said. "We have completely refused the wage freeze."

From AllAfrica.com, Africa, by Nomusa Maunga, 9 January 2004

Non-Payment of Civil Servants 'a Violation of Human Rights', NGO Says

Bangui - A human rights organisation in the Central African Republic has expressed concern over a declaration on Wednesday by Finance Minister Mohamed Mahdi Marboua that the government was broke and could no longer pay monthly salaries on time. "The non-payment of civil servants' salaries is a violation of human rights," Lambert Zokoezo, chairman of the Observatoire Centrafricain des Droits de l'Homme, said. He described Marboua's declaration, which was broadcast by state-owned Television Centrafricaine, as "a provocation of the population that would lead to dramatic consequences". Since early 1990s, the CAR has been having difficulties paying its civil servants, a situation that has prompted strikes by employees. The government owes civil servants salary arrears of at least 30 months. The administration of CAR leader Francois Bozize, who ousted Ange-Felix Patasse on 15 March 2003, has said salary arrears would be paid "later".

The Bozize administration paid civil servants their monthly salaries from April until September 2003. Labour unions declared in May 2003 a moratorium on strikes, to give the new administration time to stabilise its finances. Radio Centrafrique reported on Saturday that after Marboua's declaration, representatives of the civil servants had met on Friday with the directors of three local banks and reached an arrangement for the payment of salaries this week. Reacting to Marboua's declaration, Bangui Roman Catholic Archbishop Paulin Pomodimo urged Bozize to "find a rapid settlement to the salary issue". "There may never be social peace if civil servants keep waiting indefinitely for their salaries," Radio Centrafrique quoted Pomodimo as saying on Saturday. (UN Integrated Regional Information Networks).

From AllAfrica.com, Africa, 12 January 2004

Civil Servants Living with HIV/AIDS Won't Be Sacked, Obasanjo Assures

Abuja - The Federal Government will not victimise or relieve any civil servant of his or her appointment on the account of a confirmed HIV/AIDS status, while it seeks to present a bill before the National Assembly against such action. President Olusegun Obasanjo said this at the weekend at the Abuja National Stadium during the "Battle of Hope," an event put together to symbolically demonstrate the victory achieved by the battle against the disease through boxing. The President assured those living with the disease to beef up their psychology and live normal lives, as the government awaited a consignment of anti-retroviral drugs for distribution nationwide at the subsidised rate of N1,000 per month.

He described as callous attempt by any government that is alive to its basic responsibilities to compound the troubles of those living with AIDS by denying them good means of livelihood. Directing that anybody who suffered such victimisation to report to him immediately, Obasanjo urged the media not to confuse issues and resultant frustration to people as a result of their write ups. He commended the courage of those living victorious and normal lives even though infected, adding that "there is hope, and very soon, it shall be over." Wife of the Vice-President, Mrs. Titi Atiku Abubakar, whose organisation, WOTCLEF, show- cased the event, remarked that all people are equal before God, with or without HIV/AIDS and wondered the basis for discrimination. She called on women not to see prostitution as the high way of earning a living but to engage themselves in other meaningful enterprises that would equip them with joy, happiness and honour.

From The Globe and Mail, Canada, by Simon Timothy, 14 January 2004

BDP Losers' Protect Civil Servants Vote

Voting by civil servants is one of the numerous irregularities cited in the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) primary elections, dubbed "Bulelwa Ditswe". Just before the primaries, the party said permanent and pensionable civil servants were going to be barred from voting. The party felt that allowing civil servants to vote would have been tantamount to exposing them to active and visible participation in politics, which is against the Public Service regulations. The only civil servants allowed to vote are the industrial class workers, a party statement said. But one of the candidates who was contesting a council ward in Broadhurst, said the wife of his opponent, who is a permanent and pensionable civil servant voted during the primaries. BDP Executive Secretary, Botsalo Ntuane said he could not tell whether permanent and pensionable civil servants participated in the elections since there were thousands of people who voted.

He claimed that more people voted in "Bulela Ditswe" than the 1999 general elections. "So essentially Bulela Ditswe was a general election of some sort. Given these massive figures, one cannot totally discount that some civil servants could have voted. But I doubt if it were known that they were civil servants, they would have been allowed to vote," said the BDP spokesman. "Bulela Ditswe" seemed to have opened a can of worms for the ruling party, with many candidates citing massive irregularities about the exercise. A major problem was missing names from the voters' role, which angered many party members. Some of the candidates alleged that people were ferried from outside their constituencies to vote. Ntuane told Mmegi that the central committee has appointed a technical committee to deal with the appeals.

The technical committee is expected to come up recommendations. "It would therefore be inappropriate to comment on the merits and de-merits of the appeals. They are still being dealt with," said Ntuane. He added that he was not in a position to comment on whether "Bulela Ditswe" would cause divisions in the party and whether it was a success. "I would rather reiterate what President Fesgus Mogae said in a TV interview that Bulela Ditswe remains a good system. But owning to the fact that it was new, there were liable to be problems which we can only work up to perfect for 2009," he said. Ntuane said he was not aware of any BDP members who have defected from the party to protest the conduct of the primary elections. "On the contrary we have been receiving defectors from the opposition parties," he said.

From Mmegi, Botswana, by Lekopanye Mooketsi, 19 January 2004

Nnamani Wants Civil Servants' Promotions Released

Enugu - Governor Chimaroke Nna-mani of Enugu State has directed the state Civil Service Commission to release the 2003 promotion of civil servants in the state without further delay. According to him, the move was one of the many ways his administration could provide a conducive atmosphere to enable civil servants to be more productive. He lamented the sorry state of the civil service, which he noted had been highly polluted by politicians and jobbers, but assured that he would leave behind a "civil service that is intact, unpolluted and very productive with good record of service." The governor, who gave the directive to the executive members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Enugu State branch who paid him a courtesy call yesterday, said that as a product of the civil service: "I have great respect for the Service and will continue to give priority attention to workers welfare."

From This Day, Nigeria, by Oladunjoye Mansur Aramide, 23 January 2004

Salary Hike Helps No Civil Servant in Burma

Despite the recent salary hike for civil servants in Burma, the economical situation is becoming worse for them, according to an unidentified civil servant from Moulmein in southern Burma. And he added that if the junta wants to help civil servants, it should retain rice ration system and keep inflation under control. Despite a couple of salary hikes after the military coup in 1988, the runaway inflation rate and the rocketing commodity prices make it impossible for many civil servants to live on their salaries alone. Many of them have to depend on 'outside' incomes to feed their families. Pensioners are particularly vulnerable to economic chaos in Burma and they have to depend on their relatives to survive. The salary hike is supposed to 'alleviate' the difficulties faced by civil servants but the junta is withdrawing the subsidised rice rations for them.

From Democratic Voice of Burma, Norway, 2 January 2004

City Pupils Shy Away from Civil Services

Hyderabad - The record number of applications received for the Group I exam is an exception rather than the norm for the times, for youngsters have been shying away from public service commission exams in recent years. It is not just the AP Public Service Commission exams (APPSC) that have no takers in the city, the all-India Civil Services Exam of the IAS exam also has fewer aspirants. "Youngsters are in search of quick money and their best bet is to go abroad and finish their master's in a jiffy and get jobs,'' said Gopal Krishna, who runs an IAS coaching centre in Himayatnagar. "You need to be very patient when attempting the IAS exam. Unless the student is ready to dedicate at least two years, he/she can't expect to qualify. Youngsters today lack that patience,'' he said. There was a brain drain in the latter half of the '90s, but after the September 11 attacks in the US, it became difficult for dark-skinned people to get admission in colleges abroad and that is when people started looking at civils and APPSC exams again, he said.

Almost all IAS coaching centres in the city say there is not enough awareness about public service exams among youngsters in Hyderabad . A majority of students taking coaching in the city are from smaller towns in the state. Students agree. "I hear it is too much hard work. It will take me almost three years to get to work. I can't wait so long,'' said S Pallavi , a science student from a city college. "I think people who appear for the exams are either rich and in no hurry to start earning or are passionate about making it to the IAS or IPS,'' said P Aditya, an engineering graduate from Chikkadpally. The dishonest picture associated with the career only adds to its unpopularity. "I agree not all bureaucrats are dishonest, but I don't want to put myself in any position where I would have to deal with the corrupt scum of society,'' said another engineering student, P Siri.

From Times of India, India, 5 January 2004

Civil Servants' to Get 3 Percent Pay Raise

Wages for civil servants will rise 3 percent this year, the government announced on Friday. The Civil Service Commission said that the pay increase was intended to stabilize the livelihood of government employees and boost their morale. The government is also hoping the measure will result in an improvement of service quality for citizens. The pay hike plan was announced at yesterday's Cabinet meeting. This increase is far lower than that of previous years, following 6.5 percent last year, 7.8 percent in 2002, 7.9 percent in 2001 and 9.7 percent in 2000. "We decided to go with a milder pay raise because of the economic downturn and the resulting contraction of revenue generation," said commission official. However, the increment might be raised by 0.88 percentage points to 3.88 percent as the government is considering an additional increase in November of some allowances for civic servants.

From Korea Times, South Korea, 2 January 2004

Burma's Military Junta Said It Would Add 5000 Kyats to All the Salaries of the Civil Servant

Although Burma's military junta, the SPDC (State Peace and Development Council) said it would add 5000 kyats to all the salaries of the civil servants and cut the subsidised basic commodities for them, there have some confusing differences from one department to another. Some departments would continue to receive rice and the supplies for other department would be cut in the middle of the year. It is not clear whether the 5000 kyat 'bonus' is the salary hike or substitute for rice. Civil servants from some towns had already received the money at the end of December but others have yet to receive the promised money.

At Monywa in central Burma, educational civil servants not only haven't received the money, parts of their unpaid salaries were sliced off by the authorities. On the other hand, staff in Rangoon University were told that they would still receive rice and cooking oil along with the salary hike. But part-time labourers who do not receive rice and oil are not likely to be entitled to the hike. Critics claim that the junta is trying to placate the discontented civil servants with the hike rather than helping them overcome their difficulties. The junta needs the supports of all civil servants especially those in education department, the police and the army for its 'road map' plan to work. But some observers believe the hike could trigger off far worse inflationary problems in the country.

From Democratic Voice of Burma, Norway, 7 January 2004

China to Crack Down on Unlawful Legal Services Organizations

Beijing - China will ban illicit legal services organizations in 2004, in an effort to regulate the market, Minister of Justice Zhang Fusen said here Wednesday. Similar nationwide campaigns were launched by China in 1988 and 1993, Zhang said. Zhang explained that some legal services organizations do not meet the operational requirements, and some have been set up without approval. Meanwhile, different organizations are supervised by different government organs, which has resulted in unclear and overlapping management. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ), Ministry of Civil Affairs and State Administration for Industry and Commerce made a joint inspection of the legal services market in seven provinces in 2003,and then submitted a proposal for rectifying the market to the State Council, China's cabinet. Zhang said that legal services organizations violating the regulations should be improved and rectified, and illicit organizations should be prohibited.

He said that lawyers and law offices are the mainstay of the legal services market, but other legal services organizations would be retained in rural areas due to a shortage of lawyers and law offices there. In cities, these organizations will withdraw from lawsuits gradually, and specifically provide public legal counseling. Meanwhile, China will take measures to regulate the conduct of lawyers, and improve their professional ethics and credibility, Zhang said. "We hope that lawyers will be trustworthy and not charge irrationally high fees," he said. The MOJ and the Supreme People's Court will issue a joint regulation to supervise the conduct of and exchanges between lawyers and judges in lawsuits. So far, some 20 provinces keep credibility records for legal services workers, and the MOJ plans to promote this in 2004, according to Zhao Dacheng, director of the Lawyers and Notarial Affairs Department of the MOJ.

From Xinhua, China, 7 January 2004

Imbalanced Promotion Discourages Public Servants

The Grand National Party (GNP) and the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) criticized Cheong Wa Dae over Wednesday's massive promotion of high ranking executive officials as "imbalanced appointments disregarding law and procedures." Gu Sang-Chan, vice spokesperson of the GNP, harshly commented, "On the surface, the government is emphasizing a balanced and fair system and procedures, but in fact, it is ignoring even the law to favor people who are on its side." Kim Yeong-chan, vice spokesperson of the MDP said, "This kind of unfair promotion will give a sense of loss to general public servants and discourage them." He also urged, "The government should withdraw its promotion immediately and set a good example of observing law and procedures as a superior government agency."

From Donga, South Korea, by Myoung-Gun Lee (gun43@donga.com), 7 January 2004

16 Sabah Civil Servants Among 36 Held over Corruption

Kota Kinabalu - The Anti Corruption Agency (ACA) arrested 36 people including 16 civil servants last year over allegations of corruption made against them by the people, Sabah ACA Director Mohamad Shukri Abdull said Wednesday. Information on their alleged corruption was passed on to the ACA offices in the state, he said in a statement. "The Sabah ACA wishes to thank them and hopes the people will continue to cooperate with the ACA in the future." Mohamad Shukri said that last year the Sabah ACA received 950 pieces of information from the people and following this the ACA opened 318 investigation files. "The remaining information was not related to corruption and was either passed on to the relevant departments for their attention or the ACA took no further action," he said. Mohamad Shukri urged people with information about corrupt activities to forward it to the nearest ACA office. The Kota Kinabalu ACA office address is Tingkat 3, Blok D, Kompleks Kuwasa, Jalan Karamunsing. Tel Nos 088-232255/233550. That of the Sandakan ACA office: Tingkat 7, Bangunan Persekutuan, Jalan Labuk.Tel No 089-668746/668496 and the Tawau ACA Office Tingkat 6, Bangunan Persekutuan, Tawau. Tel No 089-772743/753005.

From Utusan Malaysia Online, Malaysia, 7 January 2004

Sultan Wants Civil Servants To Be Honest and Transparent

Sabak Bernam - Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor Wednesday night urged civil servants to be honest and transparent when performing their duties to avoid being linked to negative elements such as graft and misuse of power. He said the public's expectations of the civil service was high nowadays as more of them were educated, making them realise their rights when dealing with the Government. The Sultan said the state government was serious in combating corruption at all levels. "Civil servants are always blamed for a number of negative elements due to the irresponsible acts of several of their colleagues. Stay away from these elements for your own good, for the service and for the State," he said at a banquet with Sabak Bernam's civil servants here in conjunction with his three-day official visit to the district beginning Wednesday. The Sultan also urged Government officers to perform their duties efficiently.

He said delays in work would result in a backlog and would burden the public. He also wanted projects for the people's benefit to be expedited, especially in rural areas. Earlier Wednesday, Sultan Sharafuddin began his official visit to Sabak Bernam with a district development briefing by the District Officer, Abdul Ghani Zainuddin, here Wednesday. In the two-hour briefing, the Sultan was updated on the various projects, such as Bandar Baru Sg. Lang which was proposed as the Education Cradle of Selangor in 2010. He also visited the Mini Expo site at Dataran Tanah Lesen in the afternoon. The Sultan was accompanied by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo and State Secretary Datuk Abdul Aziz Yusof on the visit.

From Utusan Malaysia Online, Malaysia, 7 January 2004

Public Servants Engrossed in Roh's Favorite Books

Senior public servants are engrossed in reading three books about change, which were recommended by President Roh Moo-hyun, elected on the platform of reform last year. The three books are ``The Change Monster, The Human Forces that Fuel or Foil Corporate Transformation and Change'' by Jeanie Daniel Duck, ``Harvard Business Review on Change'' by John P. Kotter et al, and ``The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organization'' also by Kotter. The trio deal with how to effectively change organizations, how to deal with inner resistance, and what variables affect change as well as how to drum up support from within. They were recommended personally by President Roh for the new year, and most government ministers read them prior to a debate on state affairs held Jan. 3.

That the President personally recommended them has made the three books a must-read for virtually all public servants. Some think, however, the reading fever has gone too far. Officials at Health-Welfare Ministry, after making an abstract for the minister and vice minister who attended the Jan. 3 debate, also circulated the abridged version of the three books via e-mail. At a workshop to be attended by most of the ministry officials from today in South Chungchong Province, the three books will also be provided as the raw material for debate, divided into three subjects. "We felt a need to familiarize ourselves with the change-oriented mind the books advocate to conduct better reforms," said an official.

From Korea Times, South Korea, by Seo Soo-min, 8 January 2004

Civil Servant

Australian researchers have designed an unmanned aerial vehicle using low-cost systems, making it affordable for civil as well as military use. The helicopter-like Mantis, designed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial ResearchOrganisation (CSIRO), can be told in advance where to go and what to do, and will then launch, complete the task and return without further assistance. The UAV could be used for tasks that may be dangerous for humans, like monitoring power lines, traffic and forest fires, and difficult jobs such as 3D site mapping and inspection of bridges and buildings. A swarm of vehicles could even be used to locate survivors during air sea rescue searches. 'The major task in developing Mantis', said Dr. Peter Corke of CSIRO Complex Systems Integration, 'was to produce an inertial sensing system and a computer vision system to control and provide flight stability and to guide the aircraft.' 'The inertial sensing system behaves somewhat like our inner ear, providing balance and indicating the orientation of the helicopter in the air.

The instrument, custom developed by CSIRO, uses low-cost MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) sensors and is fabricated from magnesium alloy and weighs only 75 g.' 'This is much lighter than current technology and is one of the major reasons we were able to make the brains of the Mantis light enough to be carried by such a small helicopter', Dr. Corke says. The vision system uses two miniature cameras, and CSIRO-developed software running on a medium-powered onboard computer. 'Just as we use our two eyes to estimate the distance of an object, the helicopter uses the data from the two cameras to estimate its height above ground, a very important thing to know.' 'The on-board computer also observes the changes in the image over time and from this it estimates its speed over the ground', says Corke.

While Mantis can connect with the global GPS network it is not solely reliant on a GPS signal for operation, reducing the cost of the design, adds Dr. Corke. The military are also interested in UAVs, and this technology has received a lot of media attention this year. Dr. Corke says, 'They have, however, generally used very precise GPS guidance equipment, which require an expensive unit onboard the aircraft as well as expensive equipment on the ground'. 'While GPS may seem like an ideal technique to use, it has many drawbacks in practice, particularly in built environments near large structures which can obscure or reflect the signals from the GPS satellites.' By reducing the weight of the computer system, the Mantis helicopter measures just 1.5m long and just over 50cm high.

From E4engineering.com, UK, 12 January 2004

Civil Service to Adopt PM's Formula

The five-point winning work culture outlined by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will be given special attention in the ongoing improvisation programme for the 900,000 civil servants nationwide. Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Samsudin Osman said today the formula would be incorporated in long-term plans towards increasing efficiency. "We regard the Prime Minister's statement as a directive to improve the quality of the civil service and while this is being continuously carried out, special attention will be given to the initiatives outlined." Samsudin said this after visiting Pusat Tenunan Kampung Kempadang, the Sungai Lembing Museum and a deer sanctuary in Sungai Jin.

He was asked to comment on Abdullah's five-point initiative, among others, calling for a mental and attitude change in striving for excellence and adopting good leadership principles. The Prime Minister had also called on political leaders to work closely with civil servants to prevent erosion of confidence in the public service. On the National Integrity Plan aimed at raising public commitment to curb corruption, Samsudin said it was expected to be ready by next month. He also said seminars organised by the State Secretariat with university students, non-governmental organisations, political leaders and the private sector had been productive, with participants giving valuable input on ways to eradicate corruption.

From New Straits Times, Malaysia, by V. Ramanan, 12 January 2004

Government to Build 100,000 Houses for Civil Servants

Jakarta - The Regional Infrastructure and Settlement Ministry plans to build 100,000 houses for civil servants as part of its program to build one million units in 2004. The 100,000 units would be part of a total 200,000 low-cost houses that would be built under the program, Regional Infrastructure and Settlement Minister Soenarno said here Tuesday. The ministry had discussed the issue with the Advisory Board for Housing Deposit (Bapertarum), the Agency of Land Affairs (BPN), the Association of Low-cost Housing Developers (Aspersi) and Indonesian Real Estate (REI).

From The Globe and Mail, Canada, 14 January 2004

Top Public Servants Get More Breathing Time on Disclosing their Perks

Lobbying by public servants has delayed the introduction of any new disclosure rules for bureaucrats by at least a year. This is despite the recent recommendation of the Commonwealth auditor that the Government provide more detailed disclosure of the remuneration of ministers and top bureaucrats. Companies will be required to reveal the total amount - including all benefits - paid to their top five executives, and to put a value on the shares and options allocated to each executive under new rules for disclosure of corporate executives' salaries likely to be unveiled next week by he Australian Accounting Standard Board. These rules were originally intended to apply equally to the public and private sectors.

The board's chairman, David Boymal, told the Herald there was concern in the public service about whom the disclosure rules should apply to and the level of disclosure required. On top of their base salaries, politicians and senior bureaucrats receive generous travel and communications allowances and big superannuation payments. As a result, the board decided to closely consider the bureaucrats' concerns before requiring changes. Mr. Boymal said any new disclosure rules for the public service would not take effect until at least 2005. The board is due to sign the new remuneration disclosure rules for listed companies at a meeting next week. Companies will have to apply the new standards in their financial accounts for the year ended June 30, 2004.

From Sydney Morning Herald, Australia, by Cosima Marriner, 14 January 2004

Top Public Service Salaries Jump

Salaries of Australia's top public servants grew by almost 6 per cent last year, with an elite band cracking the $400,000 mark. However, a veil of secrecy prevents taxpayers discovering the precise breakdown of how the heads of government departments and major agencies are paid. An Advertiser survey of more than 100 departments, agencies and publicly-owned corporations has found that nine top chiefs were paid more than $400,000 in 2002-03. Australia Post boss Graeme John is the highest paid, with almost $1.88 million last year. The average salary of a public service boss in 2002-3 was just over $300,000. But in the private sector, seven-figure salaries for chief executives are the norm. Public service heads were paid more than Prime Minister John Howard, whose base salary is $267,176. The pay packages of most key public servants are set each year by the Remuneration Tribunal.

But the salaries of departmental secretaries are determined by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Some public servants paid under $400,000 who gained significant pay rises last year included Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty, whose salary rose about 18 per cent to almost $340,000, and Immigration Department secretary Bill Farmer, whose salary rose 12.5 per cent to about $370,000. The secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Peter Shergold, was paid $250,000 for six months in the job. Hays Personnel director Jacky Carter said the base salaries of senior government employees were often similar to those in the private sector, but their total remuneration was less because there was no profit-sharing in contracts. Ms Carter said this made it difficult to recruit candidates for government agencies.

From Advertiser, Australia, by Mark Phillips, 14 January 2004

Five Top Civil Servants Transferred

The government yesterday transferred five top civil servants as part of its current reshuffle to make the civil administration dynamic. Secretary of the Ministry of Textile Syed Tanveer Hussain has been transferred to the Ministry of Environment and Forest, according to an official notification yesterday. He has been replaced with Secretary of the Energy Division Azizul Islam. The position of secretary at the Ministry of Environment and Forest has fallen vacant following the expiry of the contract of Sabihuddin Ahmed. Sabihuddin has been appointed Ambassador to Sweden. Chairman of the Handloom Board Taj Mohammad has been made Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs. His replacement is yet to be appointed. Secretary in-charge of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs Nazrul Islam has been transferred to the Energy Division of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong Iqbal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury has been made Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock. Official sources said more changes will take place immediately as contract of several secretaries will expire soon.

From The Daily Star, Bangladesh, 15 January 2004

Longer Break for Civil Servants

Putrajaya - More than 800,000 civil servants will enjoy a longer Chinese New Year holiday break this year which starts on Jan 22 as Jan 24, which falls on the fourth Saturday of the month, has been declared a rest day. This means that instead of the normal two days of uninterrupted holiday, civil servants will enjoy a stretch of four days. The rest day on Jan 24 will be replaced by the first Saturday of February which falls on Feb 7. According to a Public Services Department circular, the Government has decided to amend the date of the rest days to enable those celebrating Chinese New Year to enjoy a longer holiday.

From The Star, Malaysia, 16 January 2004

Public Servants Threaten to Stop Politicians' Pay

A long-running pay dispute between the South Australian Government and the state's public servants could hit MPs in the back pocket. The Public Service Association (PSA) has threatened to freeze the pay of the Premier and his ministers unless a wage offer to its 35,000 members is increased. The PSA is fighting to have the offer lifted from 3 per cent to 6 per cent over the next two years. PSA general secretary Jan McMahon says pay officers may refuse to authorise payments to MPs' bank accounts. "That will be considered by members at a meeting to held on Wednesday," she said. "There'll be lots of other stoppages considered there, including any overtime within the public sector - that is, if they want to work overtime they'll have to be paid. "They will not be talking time in lieu and that in itself will cost the Government tens of thousands of dollars." Speaking from Darwin, South Australian Premier Mike Rann has described the threat as a publicity stunt. "I couldn't care less about my pay - all I can tell you is that the PSA pay negotiations, as with other pay negotiations, as with the teachers last time round, will be done properly and not under threat," Mr Rann said.

From ABC Online, Australia, 17 January 2004

Hong Kong Civil Servant Encouraged for Continued Dedication

It is hoped that Hong Kong's civil servant will continue to perform their duties and serve the citizens with total dedication, said Secretary for the Civil Service Joseph W P Wong Wednesday in a letter to all of his colleagues. In the letter, conveying the Chinese Lunar New Year greetings to the civil servant, Wong said monkey is a symbol of agility and vivacity and "it is my wish that in the Year of the Monkey, our civil service will, as always, demonstrate its adaptability by responding pro-actively to forthcoming changes and challenges." "The past year saw a spate of trials and turbulence for both our economy and society. Yet our civil service has made tremendousefforts and displayed professionalism in maintaining the stabilityof our society and contributing towards the revival of our economy," said Wong. Wong said that, in his policy address released earlier this month, Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee Hwa has commended the civil service for its continued dedication to implementing government policies and providing quality public services while coping with immense work pressure. "Here I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all civil service colleagues for your devotion and hard work," added Wong.

From Xinhua, China, 21 January 2004

Decentralisation Row over Job Ad for Top Civil Servant

Civil Applicants for a senior civil service post have been told they must be prepared to work anywhere in the State, a move which has sparked a new row over decentralisation, writes Chris Dooley, Industry and Employment Correspondent In an advertisement for the post of assistant secretary, the Department of Justice said it was "obliged to transfer staff" under the Government's decentralisation programme. "The person appointed must be willing to accept liability to transfer to any location that may be designated for the Department," it said. The stipulation has angered senior civil servants, who received the advertisement in internal emails on Friday. Mr. Seán Ó Riordáin, general secretary of the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (AHCP), said it suggested a "no Dubliners need apply" policy was being introduced in the public service.

A number of members had contacted the union yesterday to say they could not apply for a job in an unspecified location. Unions were not consulted about the terms of the advertisement, the first for an assistant secretary since the plan to decentralise 10,000 public servants was announced in the budget. A Department of Finance spokesman said he could not say if the stipulation would become standard for all civil service vacancies until discussions had taken place with unions. He also denied that it placed a question mark over the Government's promise that all transfers would be voluntary. "In the past jobs were advertised in Dublin, and it was open to someone in Tipperary or anywhere else to apply if they wished." Mr. Ó Riordáin said the stipulation would reduce the number of candidates for one of the most important security-related posts in the State.

The successful applicant's responsibilities will include management of the State's prisons. Some 200 Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform staff are to move to Tipperary under the programme. Asked why the advertisement had not specified Tipperary as the location for the new post, the spokesman said agencies controlled by the Department were transferring to a number of locations so it might choose to change its management structure. The higher civil servants association is to hold a special delegate conference on the decentralisation issue at the end of next month. The post of assistant secretary is one of the most senior in the civil service, and carries a salary ranging from €95,500 to €109,000.

From Chosun Ilbo, South Korea, 20 January 2004

SA Government Offers Revised Pay Deal for Public Servants

The South Australian Government is hoping public servants will lift their work bans today after promising to make a revised pay offer within a fortnight. The State Government met with the Public Service Association (PSA) late on Tuesday. After the meeting, SA Industrial Relations Minister Michael Wright promised that the State's public servants would get a pay rise, with an offer to be made within two weeks. "In return I asked for all the bans to be lifted and I would hope that the members would agree to that," Mr. Wright said. The Minister says he will not give public servants what they want, a 12 per cent pay rise over two years. PSA general secretary Jan McMahon says she will urge members a meeting today not to ban the processing of State Minister's pay. "However, it's up to worksite reps as to whether they want to escalate," she said. It is not clear whether improved maternity leave conditions will be included in the government's new offer.

From ABC Online, Australia, 21 January 2004

Top Civil Servant Questioned over Foreshore

Maori finally got a senior government official on the stand over the foreshore and seabed controversy but failed to land any punches. Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet chief executive Mark Prebble gave evidence yesterday at the Waitangi Tribunal's foreshore and seabed hearing in Wellington. But the country's most senior civil servant, whose department has formulated the unpopular policy, successfully avoided giving any ground to Maori despite being questioned extensively by several claimant lawyers. The three-hour shadow boxing exhibition left claimants frustrated and bemused as tribunal members and lawyers tried to pin Mr. Prebble against the ropes. He refused repeatedly to be drawn on issues ranging from whether the final deal will give Maori marine farming rights to whether ministers were in the best position to approve the policy.

He even avoided saying whether his department was on schedule to have the draft legislation by the Government's self-imposed deadline of early March. "We're working on it. I'm doing the very best, we're working hard." He also refused to release documents drafted by officials for ministers, saying they would be unhelpful. Mr. Prebble confirmed the Government's policies on aquaculture, oceans and marine reserves were stalled till the foreshore was dealt with. But his overall performance only reinforced the Government's determination to push on with its plans to vest ownership of the foreshore and seabed in public domain title and prevent Maori ownership, regardless of what the tribunal says. The tribunal's presiding judge, Carrie Wainwright, told lawyers Mr. Prebble was not there to "add gloss" to the Government's policy.

After lawyer Tim Castle failed several times to get Mr. Prebble to comment on the policy or process, Judge Wainwright stepped in. She said Mr. Castle was getting close to "flogging a dead horse. Mr. Prebble will not comment on the process". National's Maori affairs spokeswoman Georgina Te Heuheu said Mr. Prebble's contribution to the inquiry was always going to be marginal given he did not decide policy. "He's a faceless bureaucrat. It's totally consistent with the Crown's approach towards the whole hearing." The Crown's other lawyer, customary rights expert Paul McHugh, said Maori had substantial rights to the foreshore and seabed. But he said they would not amount to freehold title but instead a bundle of rights that while giving Maori certain privileges, did not give them exclusive ownership. Dr McHugh said the Government had tried to specify Maori rights but also needed to do the same for the general public.

From Stuff.co.nz, New Zealand, 22 January 2004

Indonesia's 'Bloated' Civil Service Set to Grow by 1M

Indonesia is planning to hire 1m new civil servants over the next three years despite concerns expressed by foreign investors, donors and institutions such as the World Bank that it already has a bloated government bureaucracy. The plan, announced this week by three government ministers, would see the new civil servants hired primarily for the ailing health and education sectors. In comments reported in the local press yesterday and confirmed by aides, the ministers argued the move would be in line with Indonesia's population growth. The archipelago of 18,000 islands has a population of almost 220m people, making it the world's fourth most populous nation. The country's current 3.5m civil servants account for only about 1.6 per cent of its population, the ministers argued, putting it far below the ratio in neighbouring countries such as Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore.

"We want to increase the number [of civil servants] to at least 2 per cent of the total population in the next three years," Feisal Tamin, minister for administrative reform, was quoted as saying by the English-language Jakarta Post. However, most foreign investors see Indonesia's bureaucracy as a bloated barrier to business. More foreign investment is vital if Indonesia is to return to the 6-7 per cent growth it needs to absorb millions of new entrants to the labour force. Dominated by survivors from the Suharto era, the public service is seen as the source of much of the rampant corruption that regularly puts Indonesia at the bottom of watchdog Transparency International's annual rankings. Experts say the last thing Indonesia needs is more civil servants. Government schools and clinics suffer from high rates of absenteeism. The average first-grade teacher attends school for less than three hours a day, a World Bank survey found last year, while government doctors had an "astounding" absenteeism rate of 42 per cent. Additional reporting by Taufan Hidayat.

From Financial Times, UK, by Shawn Donnan, 21 January 2004

Public Servants Target Government Revenue

Adelaide - Industrial action by state government employees has pressured the SA Labor government to negotiate around a new industrial agreement. Four months ago, the Public Service Association of SA lodged a claim for a 12% pay rise over two years. The SA government claimed its "final" offer was a 6% pay rise over two years. In response, the PSA mounted an industrial campaign targeting the government's revenue-raising. On January 6, employees of the SA Land Titles Office voted to ban overtime, after management asked them to work overtime three out of five days to overcome a backlog. On the same day, PSA members began targeting a prime source of government revenue by standing at selected major intersections, holding placards advising motorists that speed cameras were in operation, and asking them to drive safely.

In a January 6 press statement, PSA state secretary Jan McMahon said that, "Our members are well aware of the recent pay rises awarded to judges (12.5%), the government's own political staff (average of 11% with some increases as high as 20%) and other public sector workers in the health sector (4%). "Couple this with the increased cost of power and water and general increase in the government fees and charges (3.9%) like motor vehicle registration, and our members do not believe their claim is unreasonable." The action subsequently spread. State library workers voted not to charge for school tours, photocopying and digital imaging. Road transport inspectors banned shift work and court appearances in traffic cases. Industrial relations minister Michael Wright's response was that the union would have to wait until he returned from his holidays. On January 14, speed camera operators joined the industrial action, refusing to replace film or operate cameras.

A few days later, PSA members working in public hospitals, in effect, banned overtime by demanding payment rather than time off in lieu. All these actions received widespread and generally sympathetic coverage in the mainstream media. A report in the January 18 Sunday Mail that PSA members in charge of government payrolls were considering blocking the pay of Premier Mike Rann and government ministers drew a furious response from Peter Lewis, the parliamentary speaker. He described the threat to ministers' wages as "tantamount to treason". On January 20, Wright finally met with PSA officials and told them that the government was prepared to make an improved offer. A meeting of nearly 200 PSA delegates the next day voted to give the minister seven days to respond, and as a sign of "good faith" to not go ahead with blocking ministers' pay. However, they voted overwhelmingly to maintain the current bans until the government responds.

From Green Left Weekly, by John Nebauer, 28 January, 2004

Civil Servants 'Most Committed to Job'

One in four employees is planning to quit their jobs, a survey reveals today. 47% drifted into their job or settled for their post after failing to get a higher position. Around a quarter (26%) said that they view their current job as just a way to pay the bills. The Consumer Analysis Group surveyed 1000 full-time employees aged between 20 and 65 across England for the poll, commissioned by Foundation Degrees. The average employee has worked in three different sectors or has had three different careers during their working life. 71% of workers class themselves as permanent career "drifters". 40% of the workforce said they were disadvantaged by the decisions they made as youngsters, which made their career dreams unattainable.

Workers in the financial sector are the least satisfied, with 53% looking to move from their current job. Employees in education (68%) and the health service (64%) are most likely to show career satisfaction by saying that they are in their dream job. More warehouse and factory workers (71%) than any other sector state that their job is just a way to pay the bills. Civil servants are the most committed to their vocation, with the lowest number of career changes. Retail has the most employees who actively "loath" their jobs (75%). Those in the building trade have on average more career changes (5.1) between them. 93% said they would be prepared to devote two years to study for a qualification if they thought it would help them land them their dream job.

From The Scotsman, UK, by Sherna Noah, 5 January 2004

Move Civil Service Jobs to our Town, Says MP

Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman is fighting for hundreds of government jobs to be based in the town. Chancellor Gordon Brown wants about 10% of civil service jobs in London and the south east - around 20,000 - to be relocated to the regions. Now Government official Sir Michael Lyons is looking into the practicalities of the proposal in the Lyons Review. His findings will be published in March this year. Mr. Sheerman said: "I have been talking to Kirklees Council about how we could get our share in to Kirklees. "Huddersfield could well accommodate one of the smaller quangos which employ between 200 and 500 people. "Ofsted is up for grabs, but that is a much larger organisation and would probably better be suited to somewhere like Leeds or Sheffield. "But the Adult Learning Inspectorate might be appropriate to come to Huddersfield." Mr. Sheerman said talks were well advanced over the proposed moves. "It's a real opportunity for Huddersfield and for Yorkshire. "One of my targets this year is to get higher levels of skill in to the area, to get more people graduating and living and working in Huddersfield and if there are good quality jobs here people are more likely to stay."

Tony Elson, chief executive of Kirklees Council, said: "We have been very keen to work with Barry Sheerman on this. And we would work very hard to provide support to anyone who did relocate to this area. "Any additional jobs would also act as a spurt into regeneration as people would spend money in local shops, eat at local restaurants and generally contribute to the local economy." Sir Michael Lyons said the potential benefits of relocation include: * Cost savings to Departments through improved recruitment and retention and lower labour and accommodation costs. * Better service delivery to customers and improved quality of life to employees due to lower house prices and commute times which are often half those of staff based in central London. Chancellor Gordon Brown is reported saying: "I am convinced that further decentralisation of public sector activities can lead to improved service delivery as well as provide a good deal for the taxpayer."

From Huddersfield Daily Examiner, UK, 7 January 2004

Union Takes Aim at 'Lazy' Civil Servants

Signaling a change in his organization's traditional approach to negotiations, the president of the German Civil Servants' Federation has called for performance-related pay while implicitly stating that some of his members now find little incentive to work hard. "We need more ways to intervene against lazy civil servants," Peter Heesen told Berliner Zeitung newspaper last Friday. A spokeswoman for Verdi, a union that represents some civil servants but is dominated by public employees who do not have full civil servant status, said he was "astonished" by the comment, adding that Heesen was implying that many public sector workers were slacking off. In the interview, however, Heesen stressed that most civil servants were delivering good value for money, but were distressed when colleagues did not show the same level of dedication. "Anyone who through his own fault delivers consistently poor service," he said, "has to except to be demoted."

A spokesman for Interior Minister Otto Schily, who is directly responsible for close to 1 million federal civil servants, said the government would be eager to discuss performance-related pay, which it has long supported. The minister is generally satisfied that the great majority of civil servants work hard, and the public should realize that there are disciplinary measures available to deal with those who do not, the spokesman added. While calling for reforms to how civil servants work, Heesen rejected calls - repeated again recently by North Rhine-Westphalia Premier Peer Steinbrück - to end civil servant status for all but a few groups working in particularly sensitive areas, the largest being police officers and prosecutors. Currently, close to 2 million civil servants enjoy various advantages - notably an exemption from pension premiums, better health insurance and total job security - not extended to ordinary public employees who in many cases work alongside them in similar jobs.

But civil servants, who are forbidden from striking, say they have also been an easy target for financially hard-pressed governments, with many states freezing pay levels and slashing the customary Christmas bonus in recent years. Showing skepticism that Heesen's comments would have much impact on working practices was the Baden-Württemberg economics minister, Walter Döring. "The federal parliament and all the state parliaments are dominated by civil servants, who enjoy their privileges and who are not exactly keen on reform," he said. Döring said change was unlikely until the number of civil servants in politics - they make up 25 percent of all parliament members, according to a recent survey by the Bild newspaper - is reduced. The best way, he said, would be to scrap the guarantee that civil servants can return to their old jobs in case of an election defeat.

From Frankfurter Allgemeine, Germany, by Michael Gavin, 9 January 2004

Civil Servants End Pay Stalemate

Civil servants have voted to accept the latest pay offer and bring an end to many months of stalemate. A ballot over Christmas of 1,487 members of the Government Officers' Association saw an overwhelming number of respondents agree to a two-year deal from the Civil Service Commission. The package, which the union had recommended members accept, includes a 4.2 per cent increase backdated to August 1 and a 3.5 per cent rise - or inflation, whichever is higher - from August this year. In addition, it includes a benefits package which the GOA says brings the overall increase close to the 5.3 per cent which it was calling for. The ballot saw 72 per cent of papers returned, of which 85 per cent voted to accept the deal, which will be implemented from next month. GOA secretary Eric Clucas was pleased with the response and relieved the negotiations are finally over. He said: 'I think if you're getting more than 70 per cent responding you are doing quite well.

The majority is quite resounding, although the association did recommend that members accept it. 'If you look at it, of all the ballot papers issued, I think it is about 61 per cent - the majority of people have agreed to it, even taking into account those who did not vote.' Mr. Clucas said negotiations had started in November 2002. 'We're happy to get that resolved and it gives us a bit of breathing space,' he explained. 'That now leaves us free to discuss with the CSC the new pay and grading system.' The deal included a one-off lump sum for those workers who missed out on an interim pay deal last year. However, as this isn't pensionable or added to salary, Mr. Clucas said the union would continue to negotiate for an improved deal for these members. The pay saga saw the union turn down two offers - an initial 2.7 per cent increase and another of 3.5 per cent in September - after which the CSC said it was ready to refer the deal to an independent arbitration. However, it then came back with the offer which has finally settled the situation.

From Isle of Man, UK, 8 January 2004

PM Urged to Lead on Civil Service Bill

The prime minister should take the lead in championing a civil service bill if he wishes to restore trust in government, a top sleaze watchdog has said. In an interview with ePolitix.com Sir Nigel Wicks, chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, said that the introduction of legislation could be "a big step in restoring some of the public trust" that has been lost in recent years. And his call was backed by Oliver Heald, shadow leader of the Commons, who was on Monday presenting a Civil Service Bill to parliament. Sir Nigel said that, in general, public affairs in Britain are conducted to high levels of propriety while standards in the Commons have risen since the scandals of the mid-1990s. "However, having said all of this it is with considerable regret that as I am coming to the end of my three years as chairman of the committee there does seem to be, despite what I say, a lack of trust in public office holders," he added. "There is a good deal of both anecdotal and some survey evidence that trust in public institutions, public office holders has, in recent years, diminished somewhat."

The watchdog suggested that the introduction of a civil service bill to regulate the relationships between ministers, civil servants, special advisers and parliament could be one way to address public mistrust. "I don't ask for a great thick tome, I think if it was a thick tome it would be a mistake, I don't think it should be over-prescriptive," he said. "But if we did have a civil service bill which rested on a firm platform of consensus, I think it could be a big step in restoring some of the public trust in public institutions, particularly in central government, which by all accounts seems to have fallen away recently." Wicks said that delays in implementing such legislation could be a result of the prime minister's failure to champion its introduction. "You have a champion always for an education bill, you have a champion if you want an asylum bill, the home secretary, but there is no real champion for a civil service bill. And therefore there is a tendency for it to be squeezed out," he said. "Personally I think the champion for a civil service bill should be the prime minister. I think it is the prime minister who is in overall charge of government. I think he should be the person who should champion such a bill."

His call was echoed by Oliver Heald, who urged Tony Blair to back the Civil Service Bill version being presented to parliament by the Conservatives. The Bill was drawn up by the cross-party Commons public administration select committee, which has investigated the role of special advisers in the modern civil service. "The time is long overdue for legislation which clearly sets out the role of civil servants, special advisers and ministers and gives civil servants statutory protection against political interference," Heald told ePolitix.com. "In the current environment, with the Hutton report due to be published soon, this Bill ensures that civil servants will be treated fairly in future and would provide a ready vehicle for any further changes deemed necessary by Lord Hutton."

From ePolitix, UK, 12 January 2004

Civil Servant Pay Row Escalates

Civil servants in Northern Ireland and the Government were on a collision course tonight over a pay dispute. Members of NIPSA planning to intensify industrial action were warned to consider the implications of their action. Thousands of members of public service union NIPSA are gearing up for a one-day strike at the start of next month, and two work stoppages to allow workers to attend mass rallies in the preceding two weeks. Civil Service management warned of pay being docked and people being temporarily removed from work without pay if they refused reasonable management requests to carry out duties during action short of a strike. The new industrial action follows a one-day strike in December and ongoing overtime ban. The rallies will coincide with the start of selected and extended strike action in key areas, said NIPSA. The areas facing extended strikes are: Social Security Offices, the Water Service, driver and vehicle testing centres, meat inspectors, industrial and employment tribunals.

The union today announced plans for work stoppages for mass rallies on Friday January 23 and a week later on January 30. They will be followed by a one-day strike by all 20,000 civil and public service staff on February 6 should there be no moves by management towards a resolution to the pay dispute, said NIPSA. Union general secretary John Corey said: "The blame for this escalation of industrial action lies squarely with senior civil service management and ministers. "After the strike on December 11 we formally requested further urgent negotiations to resolve this serious dispute so that the staff can have a fair and reasonable pay settlement for 2003. "We have received no response whatsoever to that request which has left us with no option but to escalate the industrial action." Information notices circulated around all Northern Ireland government departments and offices today by management urged NIPSA members to consider what they were doing and warned of possible sanctions.

It said all departments had a responsibility to protect the level of service to the public and to take "whatever steps are necessary to minimise any adverse impact on services". It said the purpose of the notice was to help staff understand their contractual obligations and provide further clarification on the "potential management actions that may be necessary in response to industrial action - particularly in the context of action short of a strike". The notice warned of withholding of pay for action short of a strike and the possibility of people being temporarily relieved of duty without pay for refusing to carry out any duties appropriate to their grade or refusing a "reasonable management request" when required to do so. It said: "This means that the officer would be asked to leave their place of work and would not be permitted to return until they were prepared to fulfil their terms and conditions of service."

From The Scotsman, UK, by Ian Graham, 14 January 2004

Germany Looks for Savings Through Overhaul of the Civil Service

The German government's efforts to tighten public finances have turned to civil servants, one of the few groups so far spared by chancellor Gerhard Schröder's reformist policies. Otto Schily, interior minister, yesterday announced an overhaul of the legislation governing the role, working conditions, pay and pension of civil servants. The first bills, aimed at keeping the state's ballooning pension bill from running out of control in coming decades, are expected to reach parliament this year. Germany's 1.7m civil servants became a focus of media attention earlier this month when Peter Heesen, head of the DBB civil service trade union, alarmed members as he called for the introduction of performance- related pay and for sanctions to be taken against "lazy civil servants". The statement, in an interview with the Berliner Zeitung daily, followed the publication of a paper by reformist Social Democratic parliamentarians demanding the abolition of the civil service in all public sector activities except the police, the judiciary, the military, the fiscal administration and diplomatic services.

Speaking at a DBB event in Bad Kissingen, a Bavarian resort, Mr Schily announced the creation of a fund to cover the pension of federal civil servants. Contributions will be financed by extending working time for state employees in the former West Germany from 38.5 hours a week to 40 hours. In addition to enjoying immunity from dismissal, civil servants, who make up about 39 per cent of all employees of the public sector, do not participate in the country's pay-as-you-go pension system. Instead, their pensions are drawn directly from the state's budget. According to economists at the Ifo institute in Dresden, without reform, the burden for the federal state and the Länder would rise from €21bn ($27bn, £14.5bn) in 2000 to €90.7bn in 2040. The Länder employ three-quarters of all civil servants in Germany.

From Financial Times, UK, by Bertrand Benoit and Philipp Jaklin, 13 January 2004

Civil Service Faces Changes

Campaign on how to avoid sudden infant death a huge success - The German government wants civil servants to work more hours for more years, while reducing their number and cutting their generous benefits packages. In other times that message, delivered by Interior Minister Otto Schily on Monday to the annual conference of the German Civil Servants' Federation, would probably have met with a chorus of boos. For Germany's civil servants, however, these are not normal times. The government's financial woes have already led to the loss of some of their annual bonuses and prompted a debate in the media and political circles over the fairness of civil servants' gold-plated health insurance plan and their exemption from pension premiums. With some state politicians calling for the scrapping of most civil servants' special status, and even their union's president suggesting recently that some of them had grown "lazy," the Beamte were at least prepared to politely hear Schily out.

The proposal for a performance-related pay system put forward last week by the union president, Peter Heesen, was taken up by Schily, who told the conference in the Bavarian spa town of Bad Kissingen that the government was now examining the idea. He did not give any deadlines for introducing legislation, however. Schily also said he wanted Germany to sharply reduce the number, currently about 1.7 million, of civil servants working for all three levels of government by moving toward a situation where full civil servant status would be reserved to those exercising "the sovereign authority of the state" - including police and other law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges and some tax inspectors. Other occupational groups, notably administrators as well as teachers and professors, would be classified as ordinary public employees, said Schily. While the latter group generally has de facto job security, it does not enjoy civil service pay levels or benefits. Schily warned his audience that they will have to start contributing to their own retirement plans. "The financing for the civil servants' pension system is not secure," he said.

From Frankfurter Allgemeine, Germany, by Michael Gavin, 16 January 2004

Pledge Fails to Cut Back Sick Rate in Civil Service

Absence causing £24m headache - Sickness absence in the Northern Ireland Civil Service has increased despite a Government pledge to tackle the problem, it was revealed today. Newly-released figures for the financial year 2002/03 showed an average absence rate of 15.4 days per staff year - costing taxpayers in the region of £24.3m. In the previous 12 months, the average sickness tally was 15.1 days. By contrast, the most recent Civil Service absence rate in Great Britain was 9.8 days per staff year. Ulster civil servants are not alone in having significantly higher absenteeism levels than their Great Britain counterparts. Similar problems have been identified in a range of Northern Ireland public sector workforces including teachers, police officers, firefighters, council employees and Roads and Water Service manual workers. The latest Northern Ireland Civil Service sick leave statistic of 15.1 days represents 7.0% of available working days. It was today branded as "unacceptably high" by Finance and Personnel Minister Ian Pearson. This time last year, Mr. Pearson said sickness absence in the workplace was a "priority issue" for the Government.

The Minister today acknowledged that there had been a "marginal increase" in sickness level absence despite "significant efforts" made by government departments. "The Government remains committed to tackling the problem of high sickness absence in the public sector generally," he added. Mr. Pearson was commenting after the release of an annual report on Civil Service sick leave rates here. He added: "Interestingly, the report shows that over three quarters of all working days lost due to sickness absence is attributable to a small number of staff and it is encouraging to note that almost 33% of staff had no sick absence at all during 2002/03." Today's report showed that the absence rate among female civil servants (20.0 days per staff year) was almost double that of males (10.7 days). When pregnancy-related absences were removed from the calculations the level of absence among females fell to 17.1 days - still significantly higher than the male rate. Overall, the largest proportion of Ulster Civil Service working days lost (26.1%) was due to psychiatric or psychological illnesses. The Department for Social Development had the highest sickness absence of the 11 government departments here, with 19.1 days missed per staff year. The lowest departmental tally, 10.7 days, was in the Department of Regional Development.

From Belfast Telegraph, UK, by David Gordon (dgordon@belfasttelegraph.co.uk), 16 January 2004

Civil Servants Unwilling to Transfer According to Internal Survey

The Government's decentralisation plans have taken another bashing as the results of an internal survey of civil servants reveal that as many as 85% say they won't move with their departments. According to a report in the Sunday Times, the survey at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural resources shows only 7% of them want to move to the department's new home in Cavan. At the Tánaiste's own department only 69 out of 503 respondents to a survey said they would move, while a mere 35 out of 1,100 Dublin-based staff in the Department of Agriculture, say they are prepared to move. The Government has set a three year deadline to complete its decentralisation programme, during which it's planned to see ten thousand public servants relocating out of Dublin.

From Ireland Online, Ireland, 18 January 2004

Interior Ministry Fights Corruption Among Traffic Police Officers

Moscow - The Russian Interior Ministry has developed and is carrying out a set of measures to fight corruption among its ranks. The ministry said this fight is conducted all the time and each fact of corruption is made public. The recent detention of Moscow traffic police officers suspected of legalisation of stolen foreign-made cars is one of the vivid examples of this work, the ministry said. "Each traffic police department has a control and prevention unit, a sort of internal security service. Each month they carry out several hundred special measures to expose bribe takers," a ministry official told Itar-Tass on Monday. Some time ago, a set of measures was developed for fighting bribery on the roads. They require that a hot-line telephone number should be advertised on each traffic police patrol car, by dialling which drivers can get legal counselling or report violations. In addition, one-man patrols have been prohibited.

However the most effective to fight bribery on the roads is so-called "bait cars" when "internal security officers pose as ordinary drivers and intentionally break traffic rules in order to evaluate traffic policemen's actions. Several dozen corrupt inspectors have already been detained in such a way," the official said. Earlier, Deputy Interior Minister Sergei Shchadrin told Itar-Tass that more than 400 traffic policemen had been fired in 11 months of 2003 for different violations. In 2002, 600 inspectors were stripped of their ranks. At the same time, Shchadrin believes that drivers also have to bear their share of responsibility for bribery on the roads. "Often motorists who have committed an offence do not want to wait for a protocol to be drawn up and to pay a penalty. It is much easier for them to pay the inspector," he said.

From ITAR-TASS, Russia, 19 January 2004

Local Hero

Hazel Blears tells Alan Travis why she is passionate about giving communities direct power over the management and financing of public services - There are few government members more involved in the "big conversation" debate over Labour's next manifesto than the Home Office minister, Hazel Blears, a self-confessed "local policy forum anorak". She has already been tipped by Stephen Byers as a future carrier of the New Labour flame. As minister for the police and newly appointed by Tony Blair to sit on Labour's National Executive Committee she is well placed to ensure that her passionate commitment to the "new localism" will feature strongly in Labour's third term manifesto. She argues strongly that the party cannot simply go into a third term general election campaign promising to manage public services better. It must also give the local community direct powers over the management and financing of the range of public services. It is a view that is provoking an increasingly sharp debate within Labour. Next week, Sir Jeremy Beecham, the Labour chairman of the Local Government Association, is to deliver a lecture in which he is expected to question whether new localism is compatible with representative local democracy and robust local government. He fears it will lead to a fragmentation of public services.

But Blears warns Labour councillors not to see every bit of extra democracy as a threat, and that the time for pilot schemes is over. She says she even wants to develop and train a new "cadre" of community advocates with incentives such as writing off student loans and removing the penalties faced by those on benefits who are prepared to do voluntary work. The most immediate challenge for this civic renewal agenda is in the field of police reform with competing proposals for elected sheriffs, neighbourhood panels and directly elected police authorities. Blears says that this time Labour's reform proposals have been greeted enthusiastically by the police, but questions about how much autonomy local police commanders should have and their accountability to their local community go to the heart of the new localism debate. These are not the dry schemes of some London-anchored Blairite thinktank. Blears says she has been organising local policy forums in her Salford constituency before they were a glint in the eyes of Matthew Taylor, head of the Downing Street strategy unit. More than 110 people turned up to a recent big conversation event in Salford with strong support for the naming and shaming of the subjects of antisocial behaviour orders and demands for better parenting.

Labour's consultation exercise poses the question whether the new breed of community support officers [CSOs] rather than uniformed constables should be providing the bulk of neighbourhood street patrols. Blears says it won't just be the new CSOs, whose numbers reach 4,000 this year, but others including street wardens, parking wardens and others in the "wider police family" who are providing a new visible official presence on the streets. But it is unlikely they will provide the bulk of street patrols: "My answer to that is no. I actually want to get more police officers out on the street doing that kind of community beat work. I believe in patrolling based on the intelligence you've got from the local community. In the past if you went out simply patrolling you're not going to detect crimes; you may have a deterrent effect but that won't necessarily be the best use of your resources." Blears says that these community beat operations are most developed in the North Wales force where police community beat managers deploy officers, CSOs, and wardens on the basis of action plans drawn up with the local community. "They have to decide what they're going to do in these streets, where are the drug dealers, where are the antisocial families, where are the kids running about on motorbikes, and draw up an action plan and then report back to the local people on exactly what has been done."

She says it means the debate with the community is not some general discussion about how to improve policing but instead is about deciding with local people how to use those resources that have been devolved to the community beat manager. The government's police reform consultation paper goes further and explores whether new neighbourhood community safety panels should have the money to spend on more beat patrols if that is what they want. The panel would draw in the local authority, local businesses, voluntary groups and residents. Some may be elected. "It is a genuine open consultation. It is about getting the right balance between ensuring good core standards of policing and getting some decision making at the local level. The question is, if we go down the route of local neighbourhood panels, how much autonomy in terms of budget setting and prioritisation should they have." The choices don't stop there. Another might be over whether it is better to have a police station open during the day or a one-stop shop in the housing department where you can talk antisocial behaviour, she says "That is really what the whole localism debate is going to centre around. That is where you get much wider political issues about equity and diversity; if you have something different, is that something less than equal?

You have to be prepared that in some cases people will get it wrong. You have to take risks." But she says the time for piloting such new localism experiments has passed: "I think the big challenge around localism is not to do pilots. I think the case for community involvement and community decision making across the public sector is incredibly well made. There is an evidence base now that where you involve local people your services are more acceptable. They are more responsive and they are better value for money. We have proved the case. What we need to do now, whether it is the police, health, education or transport, is say how we bring that community involvement into the way we deliver mainstream public services." Blears is well aware that such community activists need to be provided with training and backup; and that you can't simply put a member of the public into a room with a load of professionals and expect them to make these kind of decisions. She wants to develop a "ladder of participation" so that those who start off in neighbourhood watch would become street leaders then become a special constable or a magistrate or even go on to a local health patients' panel. Blears is convinced there is no shortage of volunteers and that there is a stock of social capital in even the most deprived communities.

More than 1,000 people attended a recent open day in Camden, north London, for those wanting to do something in the community. And restorative justice panels that decide what should happen to kids in trouble are all oversubscribed. But her most passionate plea is to her Labour colleagues in local government who fear she is trying to reinvent the wheel, in particular the local councillor. "Local government is not the only force that affects our lives. Companies do. Railways do. There ought to be lots of different centres of democracy. I don't see local government as the monopoly of democratic power in a community. "That doesn't mean to say I don't support local government. I do. I was a councillor for 10 years. The most confident councils are good, high performing, deliver well, and are prepared to facilitate other people having a say." She says that the introduction of patient advice liaison services in health has not reduced the role of the local councillor as a community advocate: "It helps them. It is my same message to local government. Do not see every bit of extra democracy as a threat to you. Do not see every new community advocate as treading on your toes. See them as an opportunity and not a threat. They will help you do a better job." o Hazel Blears is appearing at the Guardian's Public Services Summit, a major two-day event on January 28-29 to discuss the future of the services. More details at SocietyGuardian.co.uk/summit.

From Guardian, UK, 21 January 2004

Civil Servant Dealt Biggest Blow to Blair

Sir Kevin Tebbit delivered the biggest blow to Tony Blair's credibility over the David Kelly affair in a dramatic and belated appearance before the inquiry. The permanent undersecretary at the Ministry of Defence revealed that the crucial meeting which decided the media strategy for the scientist took place at Downing Street, with the Prime Minister in the chair. Sir Kevin said, until then, he and his Whitehall colleagues had thought that no useful purpose could be served by Dr Kelly's identity being disclosed. But he stated that the MoD "concurred" with No 10's plan. Sir Kevin knew that Dr Kelly had come forward revealing his contact with Andrew Gilligan, the BBC journalist, who had alleged that the Government had sexed up the Iraq weapons dossier on 3 July.

But he did not reveal the scientist's name to his boss, Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, during a conversation, merely saying that a possible source had been found. He took the same stance with Sir David Omand, the permanent secretary to the Cabinet Office, at a meeting the following day. Sir Kevin, the highest ranking civil servant in the MoD, told the inquiry he "did not want Dr Kelly's name being bandied around" and stressed to colleagues there should be "some degree of consideration for Dr Kelly". But, by 7 January, he had also learned that the Prime Minister was following the situation "very closely indeed". Sir Kevin urged Mr. Hoon three days later that Dr Kelly should be spared the ordeal of a televised hearing before the Commons' Foreign Affairs Select Committee (FAC) hearing into the Iraq war.

He wrote a memo saying: "The man came forward voluntarily - he is not on trial," and that an appearance before the FAC would give "disproportionate importance to his evidence". The Defence Secretary insisted that Dr Kelly should appear, saying that not putting him forward would be difficult "presentationally", a word much used by Alastair Campbell, Mr. Blair's director of communications, during his evidence before the inquiry. Sir Kevin told Lord Hutton that he had "glanced at" a question-and-answer crib sheet for MoD press officers - drawn up by Pam Teare, the director of news at the MoD, and Martin Howard, the deputy chief of defence intelligence - as part of the strategy to confirm Dr Kelly's name to journalists, but he maintained that he had played no part in formulating it.

From Independent, UK, by Kim Sengupta, 27 January 2004

Netanyahu: 3,700 Civil Servants Left the Public Sector

About 7% of the entire civil service retired or was layed off in 2003, according to Treasury sources. The number totals some 3,700 workers, Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu revealed Monday after signing an agreement with the Histadrut that ends over three months of labor sanctions in government ministries. Due to imminent changes in the government pension system, many public sector workers, especially those in the civil service have decided to take early retirement. According to his breakdown, 1,000 government ministry workers voluntarily retired, while 700 were laid off based on an agreement reached last year between the workers union and Treasury. "These retirees made their decision to the fear and uncertainty they felt," Histadrut Chairman MK Amir Peretz said in response to Netanyahu's announcement. In addition, 2,000 workers hired and paid through manpower agencies were laid off during the year, before becoming full-time employees. Yet, according to the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce said the public sector continued to expand, adding 2,900 new positions in 2003, while some 6,500 positions were eliminated in the private sector.

From Jerusalem Post, Israel, by Tal Muscal, 5 January 2004

PA Close to Default on Civil Service Wages

Hit by waning support from fatigued donor nations, the Palestinian Authority has been forced to borrow from banks to pay salaries to its 125,000 employees, and may be unable to meet the February payroll, the economy minister said Tuesday. With unemployment rampant outside the public payroll, Palestinians could be facing unprecedented economic collapse after three years of relentless conflict with Israel. "We took loans from the bank for the past couple of months to pay salaries," Palestinian Economy Minister Maher Masri told The Associated Press. "If this situation continues ... we will not be able to provide salaries next month." Masri did not disclose the size of the loans, but figures are likely to be made public when Palestinian Finance Minister Salam Fayad presents the 2004 budget to parliament next week

. World Bank figures show about 40 percent of the Palestinian work force is unemployed and 60 percent of the population live on less than US$2 per person per day. Masri said the Palestinian Authority has a monthly income of about US$20 million and expenditures of at least US$85 million. The World Bank says donors have grown weary at the lack of progress toward Palestinian-Israeli peace, while the Palestinians are facing a US$400 million shortfall. "They are facing a crisis and its getting worse," Norwegian Mideast envoy Jakken Biorn Lian said by phone from Oslo. "They need extra contributions." Masri said that Arab declarations of support for the Palestinians was not being matched by remittances, with only Saudi Arabia and Libya agreeing to send money. "The Palestinian cause is not the world's highest priority these days," he said.

From Jerusalem Post, Israel, 13 January 2004