English version (Pa papiamentu skrol bai mas abou)

​

LWI Newsletter – Screening of Candidates for Ministerial Positions

“Democracy... is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder; and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike.” – Plato (ancient Greek philosopher)

Dutch Secretary of State for Kingdom Affairs, Mr. Zsolt Sabó, has purposed to commission Transparency International to investigate the integrity status of Curaçao, Aruba, and St. Maarten (the so-called CAS islands) due to the persisting wave of corruption cases in which politicians are the prime suspects.

A few years ago, these integrity breaches provoked the introduction of the law “Wet Integriteit Kandidaat-ministers.” In accordance with this law, individuals nominated for ministerial positions are required to undergo a thorough screening process before being sworn in. Some people are against this law because, in their eyes, it’s an assault on real democracy. Obviously, the architects of this law and the majority of Parliament didn’t share their opinion.

The key question in this debate is: What kind of democracy do we as a country envision when we participate in public elections? As you know, the philosophical basis of democracy entails that the power to govern the nation rests with the people.

So, do we just want a system in which the majority of the voters get their desire, no matter what (unlimited democracy)? Or is it necessary to build in a sieve, a screening process, in order to ensure that the elected persons meet some basic moral standards (conditioned democracy)? And on whose morality should these standards be based?

All of us agree that we live in an imperfect world. The result is that the concept of democracy itself is not exempt from imperfection. Basically, democracy is the second-best option to govern a nation, but we should not fool ourselves by thinking that further scrutiny is superfluous. As a matter of fact, when the Public Prosecutor lays hands on a minister on corruption charges, we all agree that everyone else should back off and let the judge decide whether he is guilty or not. Why not act before he is sworn in?

Leading With Integrity (LWI) does not believe this built-in screening of individuals nominated for ministerial positions limits the functioning of democracy in a country. The democracy we have in mind is not absolute but conditioned, and it is subject to moral principles.

And this brings us to the second question: Whose moral principles? Well, humans have been led for thousands of years by the Ten Moral Laws (or Ten Commandments). You find them in the three major belief systems in the world: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. If you reject them, you will be prey to all kinds of subjective human regulations.

Life has its rules, and we cannot neglect them as if we are its architects. We didn’t ask for life, and we didn’t build it either; we just received it. It’s wise to submit to its rules.

LWI Newsletter – ‘Screening’ di Kandidatonan pa Bira Minister

“Demokrasia ………. ta un forma atraktivo di gobernashon, yen di variedat i desorden; partiendo un tipo di igualdat tantu na esnan igual komo no-igual” - Plato (filósofo Griego di antaño)

Sekretario di Estado Hulandes pa Asuntunan di Reino, Sr. Zsolt Sabó, a disidí pa enkargá Transparency International pa kondusí un investigashon enkuanto estado di integridat na Curaçao, Aruba, and St. Maarten (e asina-yamá islanan CAS) debí na e ola persistente di kasonan di korupshon den kua polítikonan ta e sospechosonan mayo.

Algun aña pasá, e infrakshonnan aki di integridat a provoká introdukshon di e lei “Wet Integriteit Kandidaat-ministers”. Segun e lei aki, personanan ku ta kandidato pa bira minister mester pasa den un proseso intensivo di ‘screening’ promé nan wòrdu huramentá. Tin hende ta kontra dje lei aki pasobra, segun nan, e ta un atentado kontra demokrasia real. Opviamente, e arkitektonan dje lei aki i e mayoria di Parlamento no ta kompartí nan opinion.

E pregunta klave den e debate aki ta: Ki tipo di demokrasia nos komo pais ta visualisá ora nos partisipá den elekshonnan públiko? Manera bo sa, e base filosífiko di demokrasia ta enserá ku e poder pa goberná e nashon ta den man di e pueblo.

Pues, nos ke un sistema kaminda mayoria di votadónan ta haña nan deseo, kueste loke kueste (demokrasia ilimitá)? Òf ta nesesario pa inkluí un sefta, un proseso di ‘screening’, pa sigurá ku e personanan elihí ta kumpli ku sierto eksigensianan moral (demokrasia kondishoná)? I riba ken su moralidat e eksigensianan ei mester ta basá?

Nos tur ta di akuerdo ku nos ta biba den un mundu imperfekto. E resultado ta ku e konsepto demokrasia tampoko no ta skapa e imperfekshon aki. Básikamente, demokrasia ta e opshon ménos malu pa goberná un nashon pero nos no tin ku gaña nos mes pensando ku saminashon mas aleu ta di mas.

Echo ta ku, ora Ministerio Públiko pone man riba un minister riba sospecho di korupshon, nos tur ta di akuerdo ku tur otro hende tin ku hala ‘tras pa laga hues disidí si e ta kulpabel si òf nò. Di kon nos n’ por aktua promé ku e wòrdu huramentá?

Leading With Integrity (LWI) no ta kere ku ‘screening’ di kandidatonan pa bira minister ta limitá funshonamentu di demokrasia den un pais. E demokrasia ku nos tin den mente no ta apsoluto sino kondishoná, suheto na prinsipionan moral. I esaki ta hiba nos na e segundo pregunta: ken su prinsipionan moral?

Wèl, hende a wòrdu guiá pa miles di aña dor di e Dies Leinan Moral (òf Dies Mandamentu). Bo ta haña nan den e tres kerensianan mayó den mundu: Hudaismo, Kristianismo i Islam. Si bo rechasá nan, lo bo ta víktima di tur sort’i regulashonnan suphetivo.

Bida tin su reglanan i nos no por neglishá nan komo si fuera ta nos ta arkitekto di bida. Nos n’ pidi pa bida i nos n’ trah’é tampoko; nos a djis risibié. Ta sabí pa someté na su reglanan.