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.
