A PRIME News item on August 8, 2011 reported that the Alliance For Change (AFC) has been diligently submitting its returns to the Integrity Commission while the Peoples’ National Congress Reform (PNCR) says that it does not recognize the Commission. The Integrity Commission is Guyana’s sounding board for transparency among public officers and was created in 1997 as part of efforts to combat corruption and wrong doings by public officials.
The Integrity Commission Act, Chapter 9:12 came into effect with the passage of the Integrity Commission Act No 20 of 1997. This law provides for the establishment of a Commission to ensure probity in public life, particularly among elected Officials and public officers, entrusted with responsibilities, by the State.
Under this Law, the designated public officials are required to submit returns of their assets and may be subject to penalties, if they fail to do so without reasonable cause. (Section 22(a) and 22 (a) (i).
Among the declarations that are required to be made are all gifts, received by public officials, and it is for the Integrity Commission to determine whether or not those gifts are personal, or State owned. The only exceptions are gifts from relatives.
For the PNCR to say that it does not believe in the Commission, it is saying that it does not believe in Guyana’s Constitution and has no respect for the Laws of this country. The role of the Integrity Commission is to ensure that public officials declare their assets, and by refusing to comply, the PNCR is saying that perhaps it has something to hide.
It is an easy task for the PNCR to speak of corruption and corrupt practices in government offices and agencies but it does not tell the people of Guyana of its corrupt practices and its failure to comply with the laws of this country that it wants to govern. Should we trust a party that shows a total disregard for our laws and refuses to declare its assets to the Integrity Commission which was established to ensure that public officials do not engage in corrupt practices?