Cracking the code

Thursday, 15 October 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

It is being mooted that a code of conduct specially designed for Members of Parliament be introduced in the near future. This, along with Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s decision to allow live broadcasts of parliamentary proceedings, has led to a wave of praise from many quarters, including the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL).

PAFFREL incidentally were involved in the drafting of proposals for a ‘Code of Conduct for Politicians’ earlier this year. That proposal, while likely well-intentioned, fell woefully short of even scratching the surface with regard to treating the ailments afflicting Sri Lankan politics at present.

Despite the code’s title, it did not relate directly to the conduct of politicians but rather it acted as a vague set of prerequisites which political parties should have considered when nominating a candidate for the General Elections held in August. In effect, it merely disqualified obviously criminal elements from gaining political office by elaborating on specific behaviour to be prohibited.

However, even that most basic of benchmarks was not met, as the eventual nomination lists were still littered with candidates who had been accused of fraud and corruption as well as a dazzling array of other offences.

The nomination lists also provided insight into the significance of the Code of Conduct for Politicians. The significance being the utter disregard for its regulations despite all major parties having endorsed it with open arms during the post-election good governance frenzy that engulfed Sri Lankan politics. Although the valuable guideline was never strong enough to do it on its own, the thought of the political parties backing its ideals meant future generations of politicians would be chosen from a comparatively honest pool of candidates. That reality it seems is just as far away as it ever was.

Corruption and politics are considered by many to merely represent two sides of the same coin in the moral and ethical wasteland that is Sri Lankan politics. The pervasive nature of this belief, which cuts across the total spectrum of Sri Lankan society, is the direct result of decades of rampant political corruption perpetrated by members from all major political parties at one time or another.

It is in this context that we now look at the newest move to usher in a higher calibre of politician. The live broadcast of parliamentary proceedings is a promising start; looking at the example of Britain and its Parliament, the telecast of proceedings clearly works wonders in keeping discourse at a respectable level.

However, judging by the widespread distrust of the British Government by its public, it would seem having parliamentarians simply speaking politely to each other is not the be-all and end-all of a healthy government. In fact, a higher calibre of politician looks frankly to be one that is just more adept at deception.

There is little to no doubt over how an elected member of Parliament should behave, but there are several question marks over the repercussions suffered by those who fail to adhere to the law of the land. At present, there are none. Therefore what we need from this new Code of Conduct for MPs is, more than guidelines for conduct, guidelines for accountability.