Despotism and corruption syndrome in the Arab world

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Nidal Mansour /

Wherever tyranny is, there is corruption, and vice versa, when corruption is common and widespread; Tyranny will be there for sure.

I can’t see the Arab world scene outside of duality and tyranny and corruption syndrome. This is common and the exception is not the rule. The tyrannical rulers that we have known over the decades have often been symbols of corruption, throwing away the wealth of their homeland as if they belonged to them and their families, and more than that contributed to corruption and the purchase of receivables to guarantee loyalty.

Corruption is a global problem that is not limited to the Arab world, and the difference in democratic countries does not find social support of incubators of corruption, and in our country, the big corrupt appear as “cutters” and “Pahlavis” who know where to eat the shoulder, and they surround themselves with parents who glorify and support them.

Most of the protests in the Arab world were against widespread corruption and to demand social justice, as governments listen to the voices of the rich, while the voices of the poor are muffled and absent, and any consideration of the protests sweeping the streets of the Arab world; You will easily and easily discover that the fight against corruption is at the top of protesters’ slogans, and as you return to Beirut and Baghdad, whose streets are still boiling and rising, you will find that eradicating the corrupt political class that controls the country and the people. is at the top of the protesters agenda.

You will not be surprised or disappointed when you know that many Arab countries are among the most corrupt and least transparent and fair countries. Somalia, for example, is the most corrupt country in the world according to the annual Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International for the year 2019, and ranks last (180), followed by Sudan (173 ), followed by Libya (168), Iraq (162), and the common denominator between these countries is the lack of good democratic governance, and the prevalence of unrest and conflict in them.

Arab countries, even if they are not known to consolidate the democratic regime; He sought to get out of the framework of corrupt countries by relentlessly seeking to create an attractive environment for business. Therefore, it obtained reasonable results with regard to international transparency indicators.

The United Arab Emirates ranked first in the Arab world and reserved the seat (21) globally among the most honest countries, Qatar immediately after second in the Arab world and (30) in the world, followed by Saudi Arabia, the third largest in the Arab world. world and (50) globally, the Sultanate of Oman, fourth in the Arab world, and (56) in the world, and Jordan Fifth in the Arab world, and its share (60) among the countries of the world .

The Corruption Perceptions Index prepared by Transparency International does not prioritize the reality of human rights in countries, but it does not overlook the importance of the existence of accountability and control bodies. , and pays attention to the existence of an independent judiciary and a free press.

Just as the countries of the European Union which enjoyed the most freedoms and democracy have made progress – and not surprisingly – in terms of indicators of transparency and good governance, and Denmark has placed first among all the countries of the world.

The recommendations made in Transparency International’s report to strengthen integrity and fight corruption do not seem strange, and they have been repeated in recent years. The international organization calls for reducing the possibilities of conflict of interest, to fight against preferential and favorable agreements, to put in place monitoring and accountability, control of political financing, strengthening of electoral integrity and balance, and separation of public powers.

These recommendations that the Transparency Organization has arrived at are based on the core indicators it monitors and strives to consolidate, such as limiting embezzlement and corruption, exploitation of public officials in their workplaces. functions in the state, protecting journalists when they discover cases of corruption, as well as protecting those who speak out against corruption and building a system of legislation that prevents and limits corruption, and promotes the rules transparency and good governance.

Widespread corruption exacerbates poverty in societies and reduces development opportunities. “The cost of corruption amounts to 2.6 trillion dollars, which is equivalent to 5% of global GDP,” the United Nations Secretary-General said in a message on the occasion of the International Day of Combating corruption in 2018.

And he adds in his post that “the value of bribes in the world reaches one trillion dollars every year,” and the United Nations Development Program says the value of bribery due to corruption is ten. times more than the total amount provided for humanitarian aid, and these terrifying numbers do not represent the whole scene of the corruption “infection” sweeping the world. On the contrary, it is deduced and discovered. As for the widespread corruption in the informal economy of the arms trade, drugs and money laundering, that is another story.

Whenever stories of corruption were mentioned, I was reminded of the Arab reality and tyrannical regimes which established the values ​​of corruption so that corruption would become the natural thing to get any state service. , and wasta became the means of working and obtaining benefits at the expense of the standards of justice and equal opportunity.

The most dangerous devastation consecrated by tyrannical regimes is that they have instilled a culture of societal corruption. Wasta is not considered to be a violation of the law and corruption is sometimes referred to as “tipping” and is common to overlook. as a crime that deserves responsibility and punishment. Thus, the regimes in power were able to rely on social values ​​and concepts. The clerics who sowed the seeds of corruption in the conscience and the spirit of the society, therefore tolerated it and turned a blind eye and the governments and tyrannical regimes used them to tamper with their will in elections and steal their wealth.

Corruption has become an institutional condition in the Arab world, and corruption becomes, over time, passing through the “system” capable of its episodes, and every day corruption regimes breed corrupt people who control the taking. decision, and fight and besiege other “honest” and “honest” people in the state apparatus who oppose their countries being run as “farms” by the leader, his supporters and his accountants.

The syndrome of tyranny and corruption will remain oppressive in the Arab world as long as certain security services control the plight of people, throw them in jail in violation of the law and justice, violate their privacy and use information that ‘they get to discredit them, to restrict them. besiege them.

The Arab world will continue to be the ruler of the most corrupt countries as long as the rule is inherited even in the so-called republics, and the sons of the presidents reign and dominate more than their fathers, and as long as the “ unholy marriage “Between power and businessmen prevails and reigns, and as long as parliaments are not monitored or questioned, and the press is only mouths. To the chief, as long as the judiciary does not speak in the name of justice and law.

There are many examples of corrupt autocratic rulers in the Arab world. Until recently, former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh – before he was killed – ruled a country rich in resources, but poor, after his departure the most important question was how much of his wealth was stolen from there money from the people and smuggled into Secret and Safe Banks and Accounts? The same goes for Chief Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed after decades of his rule, and it is still a mystery how much wealth was looted during his rule, and is still hidden until now? It is also possible to talk about the money of ousted President Hosni Mubarak and former Tunisian President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, who lived his last days in Saudi Arabia before his death, and his wife and his family were a model of power over the wealth and abilities of the country.

It is difficult for people to be optimistic about the collapse of the “state” and the institution of corruption in the Arab world. Democracy has not prospered and it has been defeated, meaning the incubators of good governance have not taken root, and the matter is not limited to an immortal leader whose word is not broken , but the question extends to the leaders of sects and parties which are no less tyranny and corruption, their ideology, their weapons and their hands are used to rob those who are deprived of the goods of their homeland.

_{Also read to the author: “The Deal of the Century” … the most dangerous thing is happening under the table}

Despotism and corruption syndrome in the Arab world 8958F6A1-229C-45BA-962C-C3076690A752.jpg AFP Tyranny-and-corruption-syndrome-in-the-Arab-world of Beirut and Baghdad whose streets are bubbling and still rising, you note that the eradication of the corrupt political class that controls the country and the people is at the forefront of the protestors’ agenda 2020-02-20 12:42:19 1 2020-02-20 12:52:19 0