Corrupt courts seen as RI's greatest problem

Corrupt courts seen as RI's greatest problem

Endy M. Bayuni, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Corruption in the courts, rather than within political parties
or the police, is the problem that needs the most immediate
attention in Indonesia, according to a new opinion survey.

The survey, by Berlin-based Transparency International, also
found that many Indonesians believe that corruption will decrease
in the next three years, albeit only slightly, and that
corruption was affecting more the political life, and the culture
and values of society, than the business environment or their
personal and family life.

Transparency International, an independent organization
fighting against global corruption, published its latest survey
on the Global Corruption Barometer involving 48 countries, in its
website (www.transparency.org). The group last year ranked
Indonesia as the sixth most corrupt nation in the world in its
annual corruption perception index.

The finding that corruption in the courts should be the first
to be resolved in Indonesia, based on a survey of around 1,000
people, departed from the trend found in most other countries
surveyed, which overwhelmingly singled out political parties as
the institution that needed the most attention.

The survey, conducted by Gallup International, asked the
question: "If you had a magic wand and you could eliminate
corruption from one of the following institutions, what would
your first choice be?"

In Indonesia, nearly one in three picked the courts of law.
Political parties came second, utilities and police third and
fourth respectively.

Peru is the only other country where more people picked the
courts of law over other institutions.

Highlighting the fact that in 33 of the countries surveyed,
the respondents would use their magic wand to eliminate
corruption in political parties, Transparency International
chairman Peter Eigen said:

"The people of the world are sending a clear message to
political leaders: They have to rebuild the trust of ordinary
people ... It is time to recognize the full extent of corruption
among political elites ... and the need to curtail conflicts of
interests and political immunity."

The survey also asked: "Do you expect the level of corruption
to change in the next three years?

Respondents in Indonesia, Colombia and Croatia were among the
most optimistic that there would be changes for the better,
according to the report.

In Indonesia, 41 percent of the respondents believe that
corruption will decrease a little, while nearly 26 percent say it
will stay the same. Nearly 18 percent believe it will increase.

The survey also asked respondents in these countries how
corruption was affecting their personal life, the business
environment, the political life and the culture and values of
society, ranking their answer between "not significantly",
"somewhat significantly" and "very significantly".

In Indonesia, more people (42.5 percent) said corruption did
not significantly affect personal and family life, and 46.3
percent said it somewhat significantly affected the business
environment.

An overwhelming majority responded "very significantly" on the
impact of corruption on political life (79 percent), and the
impact on culture and values of society (55.3 percent).