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Our View: Real hope that MPs’ assets will finally be made public

Disy's Zacharias Zachariou

The legislature’s initiative to tighten and rationalise the laughably ineffective law governing the publication of the asset statements by politicians is commendable. We do not know whether the initiative was undertaken because this was one of three recommendations made by Greco, the Council of Europe’s Group of State against Corruption, nor does it matter so long as the parties are committed to making the law effective and not engaging in theatre.

So far, the signs are good. The president of the House ethics committee, Disy’s Zacharias Zachariou said on Wednesday that 12 amendments to the law on the asset statements of politicians were discussed and focused on three different issues – the use of professionals to audit the statements, the increase in the number of officials that would have to submit statements and improving transparency through the simplification of the documents to be completed.

A possible sticking point is the amendment that would oblige judges to submit an asset statement as part of the expansion of the number of officials under scrutiny. Zachariou pointed out that as the members of the executive and the legislature were submitting statements it would make sense that the members of the judiciary, the attorney-general and deputy attorney-general did the same, even though he acknowledged the supreme court may object, citing the independence of the judiciary. It is a correct measure regardless of what the judges might say in opposing it, as they most probably will.

The other two changes are aimed at addressing the original law’s main weaknesses – politicians could give any data they chose as nobody checked the submission, while the forms were not properly completed which meant few people could make any sense of them.

The amendments stipulate that certified accountants would be hired to carry out audits of the asset statements and issue reports, while the forms submitted will be standardised and simplified so that anyone could understand them. This would serve transparency, Zachariou said.

Most importantly, the Disy deputy said the amendments would be passed before the House was dissolved for the elections. This is assuming there are no parties that find some reason to oppose the amendments. It is unlikely this will happen because no party would want to be seen opposing amendments that are aimed at dealing with possible corruption by improving transparency and accountability. We have not seen the amendments, but we hope they will also provide for punitive measures against politicians that have submitted false or misleading information.

 

 

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