Take a good look at the candidates and parties

Recently public attention has been drawn to corruption of one sort or another. Corruption has always been with us - bribery, nepotism, trading permits, exemptions, pardons and non-disclosure of profitable contacts and interests being common manifestations as old as society. Judges, generals and rulers have all been subject to temptation.

Last century the most flagrant case here was the Maundy Gregory Case in the 1920s. It was discovered that peerages were being sold and at a tacitly set rate. When corruption becomes serious and widespread, it weakens the state; it strikes at the efficiency of the armed forces.

How have other states dealt with the dangerous erosion inflicted by greed and dishonesty? In ancient Persia a king discovered that one of his judges was taking bribes. He had the man flayed and his skin draped over the judgement seat. He then gave the job to the man’s son with a warning. ‘Remember where you are sitting!’ In other parts of Asia pouring molten gold down the culprit’s throat was not unknown.

Moving on, Peter the Great of Russia (died 1725) faced a mountain of corruption. ‘The Tsar pulls uphill with the strength of ten, but thousands pull downhill.’ So he appointed a special minister named Nesterov to weed out corruption and punish wrong-doers. Unfortunately Nesterov yielded to temptation and took bribes to turn a blind eye. Peter was furious and had him spreadeagled face-up on a big wheel. The executioner methodically broke every bone in his body beginning with the fingers and toes. This sent a message. In this country people were sometimes burnt at the stake for forgery. This protected the reliability of the currency. Governments can take drastic action.

Turning to the present, corruption flourishes in many countries. Sometimes it explodes. At the moment Vietnam is trying one of its richest citizens for corruption. Some might say that it is the pot calling the kettle black. The stakes are enormous. The penalty is death.

We have to keep corruption within reasonable bounds, preferably without recourse to the brisk methods outlined above. Nothing makes corruption flourish unchecked more than the absence of an opposition ready and willing to intervene and ask questions. Long-lasting rule by one person or party lets rot set in. So before the wave of elections this week and in the near future, have a good look at your candidate and his or her party’s recent past...

Margaret Brown