Sunday, December 14, 2008
Op-Ed by Jayakhmer
On the web at http://www.modernprogressivekhmer.blogspot.com
Corruption knows neither cultures nor political systems. The question is can a political system handle corruptions. A recent corruption indictment of the governor of Illinois reverberated across the world. Just in case, Cambodian people pay attention to his case, they will see that American political system of checks and balances will continue to prevail. Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich was arrested and charged on two counts of indictment for corruptions.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a former congressman, was first elected as Illinois governor in 2002 and was reelected again in 2006.
According to Daniel W. Cain, the FBI agent who submitted the affidavit in support of the indictments, the governor was a suspect for corruption since 2003. The governor and his chief of staff were alleged to have violated Title 18 of United State codes 1341, 1343, 1346, and 1349. As a public servant of the state, he was alleged to have violated state code Article VIII, Section 1(a) and criminal law of the State of Illinois (720 ILCS 5/33-3(c) and 720 ILSC 5/33-1(d)).
The federal indictment charged that the governor “obtained and attempted to obtain financial benefits for Rod Blagojevich, members of the Blagojevich family, and third parties including Friends of Blagojevich, in exchange for appointments to state boards and commissions, state employment, state contracts, and access to state funds; …threatened to withhold from, the Tribune Company substantial state financial assistance in connection with Wrigley Field, which assistance Rod Blagojevich believed to be worth at least $100 million to the Tribune Company, for the private purpose of inducing the controlling shareholder of the Tribune Company to fire members of the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune, a newspaper owned by the Tribune Company, who were responsible for editorials critical of Rod Blagojevich; [and] attempted to use ROD Blagojevich’s authority to appoint a United States Senator for the purpose of obtaining personal benefits for Rod Blagojevich…”
On December 12, 2008 Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan called on the State Supreme Court to temporary remove the governor from the office and to appoint lieutenant governor as acting governor to carry on the state’s affairs.
“We think it is very clear he is incapable of serving,” Madigan said in the news conference, “We want to make sure the people of Illinois have a governor who can legitimately fulfill the duties of that office."
This case highlights the fact that all governments are vulnerable to corruptions. It is a fact of human nature and human greed. This is why it is extremely critical that a government has proper devices to handle corruptions.
Although corruption is ubiquitous, it does not mean that a government should ignore corruptions. Corruption if allows to be rampant will destroy the confidence and the trust of the people for its government. It would be a gross generalization to say that a government is corrupted. While individuals in a government are corrupted and without corruption laws capable of prosecuting such individuals, a government is as responsible as those who corrupted.
When it comes to corruptions, government has the burden of prove to demonstrate that it governs in transparency and truly exists to serve and protect the interests of the nation and its citizens. Cambodia should have the political will and the courage to create effective corruption laws for it is long over due.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a former congressman, was first elected as Illinois governor in 2002 and was reelected again in 2006.
According to Daniel W. Cain, the FBI agent who submitted the affidavit in support of the indictments, the governor was a suspect for corruption since 2003. The governor and his chief of staff were alleged to have violated Title 18 of United State codes 1341, 1343, 1346, and 1349. As a public servant of the state, he was alleged to have violated state code Article VIII, Section 1(a) and criminal law of the State of Illinois (720 ILCS 5/33-3(c) and 720 ILSC 5/33-1(d)).
The federal indictment charged that the governor “obtained and attempted to obtain financial benefits for Rod Blagojevich, members of the Blagojevich family, and third parties including Friends of Blagojevich, in exchange for appointments to state boards and commissions, state employment, state contracts, and access to state funds; …threatened to withhold from, the Tribune Company substantial state financial assistance in connection with Wrigley Field, which assistance Rod Blagojevich believed to be worth at least $100 million to the Tribune Company, for the private purpose of inducing the controlling shareholder of the Tribune Company to fire members of the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune, a newspaper owned by the Tribune Company, who were responsible for editorials critical of Rod Blagojevich; [and] attempted to use ROD Blagojevich’s authority to appoint a United States Senator for the purpose of obtaining personal benefits for Rod Blagojevich…”
On December 12, 2008 Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan called on the State Supreme Court to temporary remove the governor from the office and to appoint lieutenant governor as acting governor to carry on the state’s affairs.
“We think it is very clear he is incapable of serving,” Madigan said in the news conference, “We want to make sure the people of Illinois have a governor who can legitimately fulfill the duties of that office."
This case highlights the fact that all governments are vulnerable to corruptions. It is a fact of human nature and human greed. This is why it is extremely critical that a government has proper devices to handle corruptions.
Although corruption is ubiquitous, it does not mean that a government should ignore corruptions. Corruption if allows to be rampant will destroy the confidence and the trust of the people for its government. It would be a gross generalization to say that a government is corrupted. While individuals in a government are corrupted and without corruption laws capable of prosecuting such individuals, a government is as responsible as those who corrupted.
When it comes to corruptions, government has the burden of prove to demonstrate that it governs in transparency and truly exists to serve and protect the interests of the nation and its citizens. Cambodia should have the political will and the courage to create effective corruption laws for it is long over due.
14 comments:
Like father like son and like leaders like its folowers. The way I say it is each gov.t needs rules of law and capable people to run the gov.t and make sure that those capable people will not run the gov.t like their family's business-that's exactly happening in Cambodia.(the lucrative business all run by Hun sen's dynasty and its cronies)
Look at Cambodia, and tell me if all the miseries and negative mindset and cultures are not cause by hun sen's dynasty and its associates. Law implementation cannot be enforced since the rule of law is less powerful the rule of the beast. And correct me if I am wrong: the house of the gov.t is full of less efficient, incapable and say several are capable, yet they serve their self-centered, self-sustained pride and power-Hun Sen. That why if you ever look for the source of mastermind of the miseries and un-preferable cultures, YOU LOOK AT ONLY ONE MAN(INCLUDING ITS CRONIES AND ASSOCIATES)THAT IS HUN SEN.
He is the real VIET PUPPET!
Khmers should see the big picture: Vietnamization!! One mastermind and the true Viet puppet Hun Sen who confused and complicate everything that yield the results against its boss-Vietnam and vietnamization!
And the Khmer Rouge court say it is technical or political problem? Say corruption now the khmer leaders confuse and politicise the case of corruption already--no willingess to investigate and arrest the culprits but rather establish complex procedure not to interrogate and arrest the culprits but to find who launch the complaints!!
The democrats are mostly corrupted.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich is part of Ah corrupted Scam Rainxy's clan.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich is part of Ah corrupted Hun Xen, Father Mucker!
glad to hear that corruption problem is not unique to cambodia. at least cambodia is not alone on this issue. that said, cambodia is striving hard to get rid of official corrupt so good governance is in place gradually but surely. god bless cambodia.
Not alone alright, but in the developing country, you commit you will get caught and pay for your crime. In our country that won't happen. You know it. They know it.
To all cambodian governments..you must learned from this fucking crooded american gov..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!fucker!
Pouk Ah Scam Rainxy oversea is corrupted.
Yep, khmer leaders should learned from this stupid governor...don't think that you are on top of the world!! remembered people raised u up, but people still can bring your ass down!!
Ah Kiet Chun, Ah sok Ann, Ah Sar khouch, Ah pseng pseng teat douch te kneer!!!! everybody knew Ah kwang already so!? All of you must open your fucking eyes and looks what's happening to the crooked..gov in us and learned you stupid fuck!!!!
Pouk Ah CPP eveywhere are corrupted.
The world knows that!
I agree w/6:41!!
12:31AM. Sam Rainsy is supported by Republican not Democrat.
In the US Democrat is Maxist Socialist-Communist.
The US is so damned corrupted. This 2008 election money nearly 1 billion of dollar to Democrat are mostly illegal money from outsiders like from Qadafi and many more Communist Nations, es. China, Russia, Cuba.
Not only too corrupted the Maxist Communist US Democrat mocked the US Constitution by electing an alien who was not a native US born.
America is getting worse from 2009-2012.
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