Since embracing a fully democratic mode of governance with the election of President Nasheed through multi-party elections in 2008, one would assume Maldives to be less prone to corruption than the previous regime where, government was perceived to be hardly accountable for its actions. However, with the current president in power for already a year, how could Maldives become more corrupt rather then less?

Perhaps you already guessed the answer to that question, if you read the comment from Transparency Maldives, referring to the slip.

“It’s a perception of corruption levels so what would have happened is that in 2008 there was a lot of corruption cases that have been unearthed so that means the corruption perception would have increased. There was not necessarily more corruption.”

Indeed relieving to think that it is not the actual level of corruption which is on the increase, but rather the amount of corruption which is documented or out in the open. It is quite plausible to stick to that argument as well.

In the Maldives, we now enjoy freedom of expression like it has never been enjoyed before, government reports on earnings, expenditures, audits and others are more open and available for public scrutiny. Cabinet ministers and responsible heads of institutions are held accountable and are answerable to matters which fall under their portfolios. Bidding and issuing of government projects and government procurement is a lot more transparent than it used to be. Media and the public are allowed to freely criticize (abuse if necessary) and point fingers at any government establishment.

However, can we really attribute more (perceived) corruption only to the fact that Maldivian government is more transparent today? Can we blindly ignore the seemingly unaccountable political appointments and various high paying public posts while simultaneously cutting down the salaries of average civil servants? Are the funds of the public being spent on what is best for the public at this time of economic peril? Do we really have the institutions watching over the decision makers to ensure that public interest is protected in the process? Are there checks and balances in the day to day running of our government so that corruption is decreasing rather than increasing?

I do not have the answers to these question, they are merely personal musings… perhaps you could shed some light on to this? Would be interesting to see the answer to this question, from readers of this post.

Do you think corruption levels in the Maldives is increasing? Yes/No?

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