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Transparency is the divine condition for democracy to take root and flourish. We are talking about real democracy inherent in the US, not what we see in the third world. I still remember watching Barack Obama saying elections solely do not make a country a democracy. Anybody needs proof of the pudding: think Venezuela, which is in the thick of the presidential election. Nicholas Maduro, a former truck driver and successor of Hugo Chavez, is reported by media as saying his loss in the election will lead to a bloodbath. That is the mindset of the third-world political characters. While promising bloodbaths for election loss could be exaggerated, the third world is replete with hare-brained politicians who think of themselves as the citadel of democracy with the support of their masters. They do not realise support can evaporate in a matter of time. We are never tired of taking the example of the Panamanian strongman, Manual Noreiga, who tried to double-cross his masters and paid a heavy price. The Third World politicians should remember his fate as a lesson. In a democracy, the tainted characters must not be allowed anywhere near the power, no matter what.
We can learn about democracy from US President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., who dropped out of the presidential race, putting democracy before post.
In Spain, a judge has rejected the prime minister's request to testify in writing on a graft case. Sarkozy of France is still under the cloud.
What about a declaration of assets under oath? According to Forbes, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., the President of the US, is worth 10 million dollars. Now, Forbes is a credible monitor. Giving wrong information can be the worst perjury in a democracy.
In keeping with the democratic norms, the immediate past prime minister Dahal authenticated his assets and money in the bank as required by law.
The properties and the bank savings were inconsequential quantities and amounts like a few kathas of land, some tolas of gold and a few thousand or a few hundred thousand in the bank account. However, what happens if his possession balloons to vast swathes of land and many sacks of money two, five, ten or fifty years from now? Will the government seize the property and the cash over and above what he had declared after deducting what he legally earned during the period post-prime ministership from teaching, plotting, farming, hydro, airline or hotel business? What if he holds all these - the bloated properties and cash - in other people's names, including his household staff, just like some migrant traders had and have done and some panchayat ministers nearly did? How would the state track them in other people's names?
Who monitors the changes in declared assets and legal sources?
The White House has put Biden and his wife, Jill's, income for 2023 at US$620,000 before taxes for 2023. Do we have a system to make public the annual earnings of our ministers, prime ministers and the President? What other protocols do we have to stop public servants, including lawmakers, ministers, prime minister and President, from earning from side hustles by misusing and abusing their positions, which could amount to a gross conflict of interest? For example, what if they coerce private traders for shares in return for favourable policies on a Quid pro quo basis?
