NAM and corruption

NAM and corruption

The Nonaligned Movement (NAM) summit was officially opened in Kuala Lumpur on Monday with most of the member countries voicing their concern for a peace settlement with Iraq through the United Nations.

Therefore, it would be diplomatically smart if the summit takes the Iraq-U.S. issue as part of NAM's revitalization program.

But we cannot expect much pressure from the summit on the Iraq standoff as many poor countries who are members of NAM are still dependent on the North.

In this context, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's statements that NAM should not take for granted the classic problems, which have been constantly corroding developing countries: Corruption and political instability are relevant.

Mahathir made the statements at the NAM Business Forum at the South-South Cooperation on Sunday.

He said the level of corruption in a country is the yardstick of the country's achievement in developing its economy based on its potency.

It is public knowledge that many NAM member countries, including Indonesia, are among the most corrupt countries in the world.

"The country which takes corruption as a way of life must not ever dream of being able to develop into a prosperous country," said Mahathir.

Meanwhile, President Megawati Soekarnoputri, seeing the problem from the other side of the coin, suggested that cooperation between developed NAM member countries with underdeveloped countries be promoted.

The more NAM member countries that achieve economic and political stability, the stronger roles NAM will be able to play at a global level, Megawati said.

It would be better for the organization to combine Mahathir's and Megawati's ideas for the prosperity of its member countries.

It is obviously relevant that the NAM summit focus more attention on corruption in its agenda.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta