Resigned to corruption

Carolyn Cooper

Richard Azan and the crack mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, have a lot in common. They are both corrupt politicians who have cunningly managed to stay on the right side of the law. Just barely. They have committed no crime. But they have certainly disgraced themselves and dishonoured their high public office.

All the same, there are differerences between the two politicians. Ford shamelessly refuses to resign in spite of all the pressure that has been applied over the last several weeks. The Toronto city council has transferred much of the power of the mayor's office to his deputy. Like many impotent men, Rob Ford is going through the motions, even though he no longer has what it takes to bring matters to a satisfying conclusion.

By contrast, Richard Azan was shamed into resigning. But it took a lot of public pressure. Of course, a truly honourable man would not have got himself into that mess in the first place. He would have known that it was essential to play by the rules and not expose himself to unnecessary risk. Azan simply chose to do as he pleased. Why couldn't he have done things the right way? Because there was no right way to violate regulations?

Richard Azan's deplorable behaviour has been described as a mere misstep. It's more like a giant leap into a pit of filth. He has now crawled out of the pit, washed himself off, put on lotion, deodorant and clean clothes and is reborn as a new creature in Christ Jesus. Well, Azan has not really been washed in the blood of the lamb. His redemption is not an act of God. It's the magical trick of Sister P.

SHOVING PRINCIPLE ASIDE

Anybody who has consistently read this column over the last four years knows that I'm very proud of our prime minister for the way she has so valiantly endured all of her trials and tribulations. It has been one hell of a journey from her humble origins in rural Jamaica to the spotlight of the world stage. Portia Simpson Miller has had to bite her tongue on many occasions when she has been derided, even by members of her own party, for daring to claim the right to self-determination. Not all the time, though. Drawing Sister P's tongue is a risky business, as she will tell you unapologetically.

But, and this is a big but, I cannot uncritically endorse any of the problematic decisions made by the prime minister and her Cabinet. For example, the refusal of the Cabinet to stop the backward 'development' of protected lands on Long Mountain remains a troubling matter. Yes, it may look as if I'm still flogging a dead horse. But I do believe in miracles. The bulldozers haven't yet started to tear down the trees. So there's still hope that the conservation lands across from the Mona Reservoir can be saved from devastation.

The prime minister's decision to reinstate the disgraced Richard Azan is, in my opinion, completely unconscionable. Even worse is her apparent refusal to entertain any public discussion on the issue. If the decision is completely transparent, there should be no need to hide from public scrutiny. Furthermore, it is most unfortunate that the journalist who recently tried to conduct an unapproved, 'on-location' interview on the matter was shoved aside. The Office of the Prime Minister doesn't quite see it that way.

In a press release issued last week, the incident is reported somewhat euphemistically: "... The journalist attempted to continue his questioning, moving toward the prime minister, at which point the PM's security personnel began to clear a path for the prime minister to proceed to inspect the amenities launched as part of the community development project." Clearing a path sounds so much better than shubbing a journalist. But a shub by any other name is still a shub. And, ultimately, it's the freedom of the press that's likely to be trampled in all of the unprincipled shubbing and clearing.

MAKING OUR VOICE HEARD

The burden of accountability for the misconduct of public officials does not rest only on the shoulders of politicians. Civil society must assume some of the responsibility for keeping elected leaders in line. And we do have the power to make our voice heard and influence the affairs of state. But, most times, we act as though we are victims, unable to challenge self-serving politicians who abuse the temporary authority invested in them.

When it suits us, we can make a lot of noise and force the power brokers to do what we say. Just think about how so many people carried on so badly when Television Jamaica (TVJ) tried to hijack The Voice and carry it off to an inconvenient time slot. Angry viewers protested furiously and the station was forced to back down. The extremely popular programme is now aired at the preferred hour on the TV station's cable channel.

The intensity of the public protest against TVJ's high-handedness was not just over an entertaining show. And our emotional investment in Tessanne Chin's performance on The Voice is not all about her. It's also a question of hardcore nationalism. We are proud of Tessanne because she's yet another example of Jamaican prowess in an international arena. Not quite at the level of Usain Bolt, who was in the audience last week cheering her on. But still! Millions of viewers are tracking Tessanne's progress.

We like to smugly say that wi lickle but wi talawa. Why can't we put some of this talawa pride into far more weighty matters such as the way we treat corrrupt politicians? Why do we act as though we're completely powerless? Is it because we don't take politics as seriously as sports or music? Political corruption is not a TV show. It's our scandalous reality.

Carolyn Cooper is a professor of literary and cultural studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona. Visit her bilingual blog at http://carolynjoycooper.wordpress.com. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com.