THE recent vote of no-confidence against the government brings to the fore many questions which Guyanese should answer for themselves and many self-searching judgments which citizens should make as we seek to improve the quality of our lives.

One of those questions or judgments which we must necessarily consider stems from the fact that, decisions made by government have direct effects on the quality of our lives and that of our parents, our children, and others about whom we care.

Since the quality and nature of those decisions depend on the values of the government and the personal integrity of the individuals who comprise government, it is imperative that citizens choose those individuals wisely, or else, it is the lives of citizens that will be negatively affected.

An individual is said to have the virtue of integrity if that individual’s actions are based upon an internally consistent framework of principles. Those principles should uniformly adhere to sound logical postulates. One can describe a person as having ethical integrity to the extent that the individual’s actions, beliefs, methods, measures and principles all derive from a single core group of values. In other words, a person is said to have integrity when he or she lives according to certain principles, such as: not stealing, not lying, or not being malicious.

In the context of persons who hold positions of responsibility, the philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote that this principle requires that even those in positions of official power be subject to the same laws as pertain to their fellow citizens. In personal ethics, this principle requires that one should not act according to any rule that one would not wish to see universally followed. For example, one should not steal unless one would want to live in a world in which everyone was a thief.

Obviously, the concept of integrity in government applies within the local context; in fact, it may be one of the most important considerations in our choice of leaders. This is so because leaders who have integrity would not be corrupt. And corruption – dishonesty or criminal activity undertaken by a person or government entrusted with a position of authority – robs citizens of the wealth of the country that rightfully belongs to those citizens.

It is evident that the previous administration lacked any modicum of personal or collective integrity. The persons who comprised that cabal blatantly flouted the law and shamelessly made up their own “rules” for their own personal gain. The evidence of that fact are so apparent that it is beyond dispute;

The regime brazenly showed off its gains. One only has to look at their personal wealth (that we know about) to conclude that dishonest dealings must have been committed. There is no way that members of that regime could have acquired so much personal wealth honestly and with integrity. Many of them came into office with nothing, and within unbelievably short periods of time, had acquired huge mansions and sprawling lands while living obscenely extravagant lives, even as the majority of Guyanese scrounged to make ends meet.

In the absence of integrity, corruption ruled. Guyanese must decide if we want to return to the days when “corruption was normal.” President Granger’s position on the matter is clear, he stated unequivocally at the 2018 Police Officers Conference at Eve Leary, “Corruption like a malignant cancer cannot be cured by being ignored.” He added that, “if corruption is concealed it will continue…” The values-framework or integrity of the administration is therefore clear – corruption will not be tolerated.

And that values-framework is not just a set of empty words; it is actually supported by independent data. In 2017, Guyana scored 38 out of 100 points on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, the highest score ever. In 2016, after the coalition took office, Guyana scored 34 points, passing the 30-point mark for the first time. Obviously, Guyana is making progress.

And let us not forget what that progress means for our individual lives. It means that instead of our nation’s money flowing illegally into the pockets of corrupt officials who have no integrity, that money will be used to provide electricity to hinterland communities, build roads and bridges, improve our healthcare system, increase old-age pensions, build stellings, and educate our children.

While no government in the world is perfect, all citizens should keep their own interest at the front of their minds and ensure that their leaders have integrity, otherwise, it is the citizens, particularly the children and hinterland residents, who will suffer.