South Sudan anti-corruption commission
By Kwathi Ajawin
May 15, 2006 — Dr. Kiir’s GOSS Policy Statement outlook confidently assumes that the Donor Community will abide by their promises and that the Oil revenues flowing into GOSS will be rightly used. The Policy Statement is a huge leap for South Sudan infrastructure construction and development and it is a too ambitious development program. Since we have the resource and the will of a good president then welcome to the vehicle of no reverse gear, GOSS can do it! Many are impress by the call of the statement upon transparency international to Juba, but at the same time disappointed by the statement’s failure to address the formation of the anti-corruption commission.
Why Anti-corruption Commission?
Implementation of such a huge unprecedented project in the South requires a multi-legs stool. One leg is the direct supervision of Dr. Kiir and Dr. Riek or GOSS presidency.
Second leg is the respective GOSS minister’s commitment to the implementation of the projects and the Oil Commission role in updating GOSS on the flow of resources, fluctuation of the oil production, and the market. Third, GOSS Anti-corruption Commission is a major tool in this process and it importance is crystal clear as summarized by Dr. Kiir and Dr. Lual Deng in the following statement:
Without reconstruction and development, it will be difficult for the transition to result in a lasting peace, according to Kiir. “There must be a peace dividend. There is little reason for people to support peace if they have the same living conditions as they did in wartime.” But along with these reconstruction challenges, there must be accompanying procedures to ensure that the money is well spent. Minister of State for Finance, Lual Deng said. “All of southern Sudan will be a construction site for the next six years” and so measures must be implemented to prevent corruption from diluting the impact of this rebuilding effort.
Here comes the urgency of the anti-corruption commission to measure the implementation, make sure that the money is well spent and to prevent corruption from diluting the rebuilding efforts. Anti-corruption Commission must be formed now before it is too late especially some have expressed the following concern;
Doubling the minimum wages and salaries in GOSS compared with the wages nationwide can dilute the impact of the construction effort, the unjustified tax exempt on luxurious imports and the unmonitored cash flow of hard currency out of the South is corruption and money laundry, some may call it free market or entrepreneurship, but spending $100 per a night in a tent resort is a corporate or private sector corruption. It must stop! The sweetheart contracts awarded to foreign companies without competition are super scale C word and will not be tolerated.
The Anti-corruption Commission will help to promote transparency in the South and device sound financial polices that eliminate or reduce the chances for corruption and make sure that the money is well spent.
Too much power corrupt:
Though Rumbek November meeting did not address the root cause of the corruption in the movement, one can deduce from the harsh critics that too much power has a lot to do with it!
Yes, “too much power corrupt” that statement address too much power bestowed in one man as in the old days of the struggle or too much power bestowed on one party as the current situation in GOSS.
Along that line Immanuel Wani, a lecturer in Juba University share a concern that an Anti-corruption Commission dominated by the ruling parties may just cover up the dirt under the carpet. Gony Ajawin, an expert in cooperate law based in London thinks that an Anti-Corruption Commission dominated by the ruling party loyalist will be a long line of ineffective bunch of Bureaucrats. Gony believes that Kenya anti-corruption Commission is a failure and a bad example.
Looking at America under president George Bush the country is plagued with waves of corruption on deferent levels, Political Corruption like Tom Delay situation, or cooperates corruption as the case of Enron’s Kenneth Lehigh and the collapse of dot COM, or Lobbies corruption as in Jack Abramoff situation.
Parts of that is because Politics trumps over Policy as a result of too much power in the hand of Republican party and its domination of both the Congress and the White House. Americans public have been aware about the corruption of too much power and that is why in most cases if the public voted Republican in the presidential election they vote Democrats in the Congressional election. That way check and balance between the two houses keep the ship straight. That is not a scenario for GOSS since we are dealing with at least 70% one party rule with an appointed and not elected parliament. Our rescuer is the Anti-corruption Commission and the toughness of President Kiir.
Effective anti-corruption Commission:
Now, what should the Anti-corruption Commission look like is a point that need many heads together and I’m not worthy to dictate over the issue: however, we need a third party independent Anti-corruption commission that is not beholden to any party. GOSS is incapable of policing itself. We need the Anti-corruption Commission to be like an independent Inspector General for the elected officials and cabinets members as a party dominated Commission is like leaving the fox in charge of the henhouse. A good representation of Technocrats will be good components in GOSS anti-corruption commission. The involvement of the three major Southern Universities will bring a good academic dimension.
The American House Committee on Standard of the Official Conduct is made up of five Republicans and five Democrats, so neither party can fairly say the other is keeping the committee silent. People seem to be noticing: A poll in December found that almost half the U.S. population thinks most members of the congress are corrupt. It will be interesting if a group conducted a similar poll in South Sudan after a year or two from now.
Conclusion:
Shame on GOSS if it sideline the formation of an Anti-corruption Commission that can go after the corrupt, regardless of electoral or partisan consideration; If SPLM don’t combat and prevent corruption, it sentences itself to a repeat of history.
As an intact SPLA is a safeguard to the CPA, anti-corruption is a safeguard that money will be rightfully managed in order for the people to enjoy the peace dividend.
Corruption is a clear betrayal to the CPA and is equivalent to declaring a war on the poor people of Southern Sudan as it denies them from enjoying the fruits of their struggle, perseverance, and endurances.
We urge president Dr. Salva Kiir to keep his promise and form the Commission now.
* Kwathi Ajawin is a Sudanese activist and a church leader based in Washington, DC and can be reached at [email protected]