MORAL CREDO: MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND
Bulgaria:GEORGI FILIPOV (AIM SOFIA)
Corruption has taken root in Bulgaria so fast that it has become a major problem in a country otherwise successful in its transition to the market economy and democracy. Corruption is blocking the usual channels of communication between state administration, business and ordinary citizens. Bulgarians believe corruption is everywhere: from customs officers, policemen and judges up to high-ranking state officials, university professors and medical doctors. Bribery has become the principal mode of solving problems. Law no more serves as the chief regulator of society. The authorities, supposed to be the first to uphold the law, have placed personal interest above morality and legality. The credo "money makes the world go round" seems to have triumphed over interpersonal relations.
According to a thorough research carried out by "Coalition 2000", the National Opinion Research Center (MBMD), among problems burdening Bulgarian society, corruption is in third place, preceded only by unemployment and low income rates. Over 50 percent of surveyed business managers consider corruption to be the major obstacle to the normal functioning of business in the country. Two years earlier, corruption was assigned fifth place on the top-list of major problems Bulgaria was confronted with. In 1999, it occupied place number four. In the meantime, corruption turned into a top-story material for the media. In February 1999, there were but 95 newspaper texts dealing with corruption. Five months later, the figure reached 449. Towards the end of the Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) rule, reports of dubious business deals of a suspect or openly corrupt nature were being daily carried by major newspapers in the country.
Economic underdevelopment is considered to be the main source of corruption in Bulgaria. Research results suggest that it is being perceived as an understood side effect of the democratic transition process. As a rule, corruption is primarily linked to those in power. Thus, government officials, the police, customs officers, health care workers, the judicature and representatives of the university administration and teaching cadre are libeled as most susceptive to bribery. The results of a research carried out in major Bulgarian cities by the MBDM show that the public considers: customs officials (73 percent), the judiciary (58 percent), the police (third place) and health care workers (fourth place) to be most corrupt. They are followed by State Tax Office officials, MPs and their staffs and State Road Police officers. With a mere 15 percent corruption rate, university education is listed as a factor of corruption of the ninth grade.
On the other hand, Bulgarians claim that instances of corruption are most frequent in the health care system and the Road Police. This is perfectly understandable since ordinary citizens have to deal with the so-called "minor corruption" for the most part. Generally, this form of corruption is believed to stem from lack of familiarity of the citizens with rights granted them by law, the low standard of living and the sluggish and inadequate functioning of the government administration. In fighting this particular form of corruption it is essential that citizens get rid of their fear that they will be deprived quality service they are entitled to if not for bribery. According to MBMD, this primarily applies to the health care service.
What does the so-called big business, the primary target of major corruption, have to say to all this? The prevailing view runs: the most corrupted are those closest to the topmost levers of power. This only goes to prove true a popular Bulgarian saying that "a rotten fish stinks >from head downwards". In other words, corruption would never have taken such deep root had not top politicians and government officials given it such a generous helping hand.
As always, the general public was left in the dark as to the true explanations of the phenomena. As is the case, for instance, with a number of the ruling SDS members who have managed to amass a considerable private fortune in the past four years, quite in disproportion with their declared salaries and fees. As a matter of fact, there is no doubt that during that period of time corruption reigned everywhere, particularly in the higher echelons of the government. As a rule, the biggest slice of the cake was to be grabbed in the course of the privatization process when individuals and firms of suspect reputation came to miraculously amass considerable wealth overnight. In most cases, trails leading from cases of improper or fraudulent management of tenders and choice of bidders led straight up to the very top of the government administration. In some instances, the scandals seemed to result from a clash of interests within the SDS itself. Suspected corruption was the reason behind the first reconstruction of Ivan Kostov's cabinet when
Vice Premier Evgeni Bakardzijev, Economics Minister Aleksandar Boskov (better known as Mr. Ten Percent) and Trade and Tourism Minister Valentin Vasilev were relieved of duty. Prime Minister Kostov turned out to be the main sponsor behind corporation "Olimp", an enterprise buying off hotels in a number of the most lucrative tourist spots in the country such as Zlatni Pesci, Pamporovo and others. As it later turned out, a number of governmental institutions transferred their accounts to SIBANK, a bank sponsored by Prime Minister Kostov and his close associates. In the public, the said formula of privatization became known as "brothers & comp." privatization.
About a year ago, the acting Customs Director Emil Dimitrov disclosed the manner in which a part of the revenue was being redirected to the SDS party head office. His disclosure of corruption in Customs linked with the very top of the government induced the National Program for Social Development (NPSD ) to appoint him to his present post shortly after stepping into power. Dimitrov has relieved of duty the entire CEO customs cadre and the NPSD government cautioned that, in case the reform falls through, it intends to hire professionals from abroad to do the job.
On the lower levels of executive power corruption thrives on countless permits and licenses required for operating a business. Rather than finding themselves in a situation which might harm their enterprises or even prevent them from doing business all together, businessmen resort to bribery. This explains why the new NSPD authorities have put such emphasis on the need to abolish a number of previously required permits and licenses in their economic program, hoping that this would put an end to the practice of underhand dealings.
Another equally important source of corruption is the judiciary, supposedly independent by word of law. Public prosecutors and judges are at the very top of the list of those prone to corruption. Scandals concerning breach of duty are commonplace. For their part, judges practice their right of discretion in determining the sums required for bail and the terms under which they are to be carried out extremely arbitrarily. No wonder, then, that bulk of criticism coming from the EC concerning the state of democratic progress in Bulgaria has to do with the reform of the judiciary.
The government of King Simeon II has stepped into power promising a change of moral in politics. Now is the time for it to turn a pre-election promise into practice and set an example of a successful way for rooting out corruption.