Just recently, an
Israeli court sentenced a once powerful ex-prime minister Ehud Olmert to a jail term for graft. And note
that Olmert was forced out of office the moment allegations (mere allegation)
of graft began trickling in. That is how a powerful democracy is
run.
In established democracies worthy the name, there are no sacred cows and immunity from justice in the fight against graft.
If nations’ topmost leaders stoop to listen to self, they realize
that only them have powers to stop corruption from grinding a country to a
halt. He lets systems of government operate independently with no interference
from lounge lizards,sycophants,awkward bedfellow and all the cacophony that
surrounds the ruling elite
If a country's leader righteously
ignores the advice and innuendos from indolent
hangers-on, he gets at the helm of things and can make sound judgments.He is not prone to to be held ransoms at whatever cost.
The only problem where democracy is on sale is that
elections are expensive and no presidential candidate wants to put a full
gamble on it. Therefore, in the process of a campaign, he attracts all sort of
loaded individuals and corporate that are eager to jump into his bandwagon. At
this moment,It does not matter much how the corporate and the flashy individual earn
their bread. All it matters this time is that they are dumping loads of money at
a campaign basket.
These benefactors and their cronies
eventually run the affairs of a country through arm twists and blackmails. The
head of state and government, commander in chief of all armed forces becomes
their stooge, a puppet they can manipulate. He cannot make decisions that are
detrimental to his benefactors and he is effectively in their pockets. After all,
they paid the piper.
But that is not all, the political will to exterminate the
rots and run a successful nation still lies with the top most leader. Unless he is
not steadfast enough, he can choose to whiff out the lame ducks and play by
ethical rules.
This begins in early days of the campaign. A righteous
candidate does take money from all and sundry. He only associates with entities
that are in legitimate business and allows into the basket only clean monies.
The president should rid of himself these strange no-do-gooders
and other bedfellows as early as possible. This allows everyone to be
accountable without need for political interference, midnight lobbying and
blackmails from these high priests of graft.
In as much as the masses would like to bring its leaders to
account, they must answer a few fundamental questions that go begging every
election year. Why are you (not we) voting for this candidate? Do I know this
candidate is,or am I relying on what others say about him? What are his ethics?
And thereafter, the masses will not accept to be bribed or
brainwashed.
