Accountability of politicians and bureaucrats

by Sqn. Ldr. J. T. Rex Fernando (SLAF Retd.)

In recent times, particularly during the Presidential Elections and immediately after, much was written and spoken about on the concept of "Accountability". In the national context of , it has been crystal clear that Sri Lanka is tottering with its institutions of governance highly debilitated.

This includes the Executive, Legislature, Regulatory Agencies and the Administrative Machinery. The "Rule of Law" is in tatters. Human rights violations with impunity by politicians and by officials of the State are almost endemic.

The President Mahinda Rajapakse, conscious and firmly, convinced of the appalling absence of accountability in his policy frame work to rejuvenate Sri Lanka has placed increasing importance to accountability in his 'Mahinda Vision' and also in his address to the nation, he emphatically re-iterated - "The need of working towards a disciplined society strengthening the rule of law". We will not leave room for anyone to break the law by using political or financial power or privileges.

We will give priority to stamp out bribery and corruption and empower new agencies for these purposes. We will introduce reforms to eliminate bureaucratic attitudes and make the State administrative service an exemplary public service".

The politicians and bureaucrats have a significant role to play in the pursuance of the 'Mahinda Chinthanaya'. The ultimate success in the implementation of the various strategies for the realisation of his aspirations will depend on the role and commitment of the politicians and also on the bureaucrats.

Visionary plans

The importance of their respective roles cannot be overemphasised. The President's visionary plans for a Sri Lanka re-born would yield fruit when the "Rule of Law" is restored and when politicians and bureaucrats are made meaningfully accountable.

It is encouraging that the President in his inaugural address to the nation made reference to good governance and the application of the "Rule of Law" towards ushering a disciplined society.

The country's law

Most of the problems Sri Lanka faces as a nation today can be attributed to the lack of appreciation and understanding of the concept of accountability, particulary by politicians and bureaucrats. The absence of accountability is the bane of this country.

Many politicians and bureaucrats fail to realise this importance of this salient aspect of governance that they are accountable and responsible for the action and official conduct to the people. The ultimate success or failure of politicians and bureaucrats is interwoven and is dependant on the degree of their commitment and responsibility to the people.

Sir Winston Churchill said "The price of greatness is responsibility" while Albert Schwieter maintained "Man must cease attributing his problem to his environment and learn to exercise his will is personal responsibility in the reality of faith and morals".

The way to make people abide by expected standards of morality is to hold them responsible in law. They should be made accountable for their actions and stringent punishments imposed.

What it means?

Very simply 'Accountability' implies responsibility and the requirement to account for ones action. In a democratic society control by Parliament, becomes imperative as any Government in power becomes accountable automatically to the people. An essential feature of a democracy is that responsibility of rulers to the people unlike in an autocratic State. This responsibility is secured by the responsibility of the Ministers to parliament.

* It is noted that the President intend to make the Executive President accountable to Parliament. This is a commendable measure further strengthening the concept of accountability to the people.

Democratic governments have continuously attempted to jealously maintain this responsibility or accountability of politicians and office holders to the people. This is the corner stone of democracy, those elected to govern and answerable to the people who elected them.

For responsibility to be meaningful punishment has to be effected where there has been a lapse of or disregard of responsibility or negligence. Such conduct cannot and should not be condoned. Responsibility is secured through (A) courts and (B) Disciplinary controls within the hierarchy of administrative system. Ministers have to be held responsible by the President and the Prime Minister and the public officials must be responsible to their superiors.

In a democracy, when the Government in power is with the people's consent and its continuance depends on the people's will as such the most important factor is to be responsible to the people's needs as they themselves see it and demand on it. It could be said that there is no substitute for the internal vigilance and assertive of civil society to usher in good governance and accountability.

Responsibility of politicians

The office a politician holds is a sacred trust. It is as a trustee that he holds public office. Booker T. Washinton explicitly conveyed this obligation of a politician when he said "Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him and let him know that you trust him". While Dag Hammarkshold asserted "To let oneself be bound by a duty from the moment you see it approaching is part of the intergrity that alone justifies responsibility".

This aspects of answerability or accountability was admirably explained by the late Luxman Kadirgamar when he delivered his memorable speech sometimes before his untimely demise. He explained that the office a politician holds is a sacred trust.

It is as a trustee that he should conduct his public affairs. The President has emphasised this aspect of responsibility in his address to the nation. "This earth and its vegetation is yours, but that should be protected not only for your benefit, but also for the benefit of future generation.

A ruler is only a temporary trustee and not the owner of your children's heritage."

Deterioration

The deterioration of the quality of the politician and the public servant over the years has been of such a serious nature as to bring down governments.

Both the politicians and the public servants are to be blamed for this, the politician only wanting blind obedience and uncritical acceptance of his ideas and plans and the public servant only thinking of his personal position and future.

In such environment where the politician and the public servant are concerned only about their personal gains and the future, interests of the nation are of no concern.

Bureaucracy

"Bureaucracy" means different things to different people. Whatever the meaning the word carries people are becoming increasingly aware of the growing significance of the bureaucracy. In simple terms bureaucracy can be defined as "A government by central administration" a "State or organisation so governed".

The officials of such a government "Demonic of bureaucracy", "Ruling servants", "Problems and power" and "Bureaucracy pathology" are also terms used to describe how public service it popularly looked upon as a Wart on the nose of society. Very rarely do people think of the bureaucracy as an essential organisation to carry out complex activities in an more complex modern society.

In a democracy to assist the political system which sits as the apex of Government is the administrative sub system which is the "public service" or the bureaucracy as it is commonly described.

The public service being so vast and defused it is no easy task to get it to translate the political will into administration and monitor its activities. If the public service does not perform efficiently and is not adequately responsive to the people's needs, it is those at the helm of the Government in power who will have to finally answer to the people.

Considering the vital role of the public service it is necessary for the public servant to always remember that the public service has been crated as servant of the primary group. A public servant is required to serve all members with no favouritisms in an impersonal equitable and efficient manner.

It is an undisputable fact that when the social aspiration of the masses are obstructed by bureaucrats interests and indifference as the 'servant' becoming the master, the consequent frustration in society may manifest itself in violent forms such as civil disturbances, revolutions and the overthrow of the Government itself.

It has been reported in the recent past, that some officers indicted for negligence of duty and misdeeds have been appointed to high office. This tantamount to condonation of their misdemeanour and have shattered the sensibilities of all right thinking people and the moral fabric of society.

Public service

Sometime back the public service was regarded as the brian wave of the country - most efficiently run with dedicated officers who discharged their duties with the highest degree of integrity and loyalty.

Any citizen has the confidence to approach government officials without fear, as they could expect a fair deal without being pushed from pillar to post. The difference was that they were always conscious of the fact of their accountability to their superiors and through their superiors to the public.

Regrettably today, most of the public servants are under the impression that they are doing an honourary job. They are not prepared to help the public whenever they call over at government departments for their legitimate dealings.

They are cussed at times and the demands are ignore. Many people seek contacts now to get their work attended to. We read in the news papers with monotonous regularity of complaints of inordinate delays, indifference and of frustrating experience with government departments in attempting to have legitimate routine matters attended to.

The public service has undoubtedly deteriorated. The British colonialists bequeathed to us a reasonably efficient public service. They inculcated in public servants a commitment to impartiality of service to the public irrespective of whether the person was a supporter of the rival political party.

Decision made by officials were applied without discrimination to all and sundry. The public servant was politically neutral in his work.

Reforms and changes

During the last three decades, Sri Lanka witnessed a mark increase in government activity in the field of socio-economic development. The expansion of the public service was necessary as consequences of this process. The increase of the volume and the widening of the scope of the public service, necessitated changes in the structure and procedures.

Regrettably, such reforms were not brought about in a systemic and comprehensive manner. Whatever change effected they took the form of ADHOC change as adjustment to the existing system.

A justifiable criticism is that the public service is not representative for the people and that it is not adequately conscious of the aspirations for the people and are not adequately conscious of their obligation to the people.

What is wrong

What is wrong with the public service and what are the contributory causes? The causes for the deterioration in efficiency of ethical values and the general indifference of the public servants can be attributed to:

(a) Political interference, (b) Lack of accountability, (c) Bribery and corruption.

Political interference

It must be accepted in theory that the public service is a neutral body that exist for the sake of the public. At no time should it be prostituted by politicians. Unfortunately the golden rules have in the past been observed more in the breach. Politics has been a virulent cancer that has been eating into the public service.

Both the politician and the public servant should be blamed for the sad state of the public service. The politician wanting only blind obedience and the public servant for thinking only about his personal position and future. The concept of accountability has been eroded by political interference, political alignment of public servants, rendering it important.

It is of little use to attribute the blame for the prevailing unsatisfactory situation and malaises to the previous regimes. What is required is to learn by the mistakes of the previous governments and ensure that the weaknesses and inadequacies which have been identified are eliminated.

In this context it is appropriate to emphatically re-iterate the words of John Kennedy "Our takes is not to fix blame for the past, but fix the course for the future." There is no need to express the understanding that the President has truly realised the unenviable predicament of the public service and it is heartening to note that the revitalising and cleansing of the public service has been afforded adequate priority in his "Chintanaya".

"Its commitment to uphold the principals of integrity and transparency in respect of the public service is commendable. It has to be always borne in mind that the public service is a sub-system of the political system and that the tone and standard of the ethical conduct have to be set at the highest stratum.

The effective performance and maintenance of the public trusty and confidence in the integrity of the public service, is crucial to the proper functioning of the Government. The achievement of high standards of ethical conduct among public officials is central to the maintenance of public trust and confidence in the Government.

Bribery and corruption

This is not something peculiar only to Sri Lanka. Graff and corruption seem to be the unfortunate legacy of over colonial masters. The biggest problem seems to be that many such countries have not been able to totally dismantle the administrative system left behind by the colonial overloads. What was worse was that those who took over the reins of these countries were saturated in values that prevailed under the system.

Restore salutary criteria of morality, transparency and accountability in the public life, a close examination of the inherent organisational inadequacies will also be helpful. While attempts have been made to modernise administrative systems however, old ghosts till linger within modern structure as value systems do not die easy, reminding us of the dictum of Sir Henry Maime "Forms of action are dead but they rule from the grave".

It must be appreciated that public officials today work in an acquisitive society where money is of paramount importance and people are hooked to consumerism. Therefore, it is hardly fair to expect unquestionable integrity only from public officers, either a top or the bottom of the scale. What is necessary is to approach the problem not in isolation, but in the context of society the elected politician.

With capitalism now in full flow, there will always be allegations of crooked deals, commissions and bribes on various contracts as well as on privatisation. The existing administrative and legal machinery should be probed and rectified where necessary.

If the Government is serious about bringing about public morality then accountability of politicians and all those in the State and public sectors is absolutely essential.