Wednesday, November 8, 2000

Czech Republic flunks graft quiz Transparency report says corruption has shifted to new areas By Felice Wilson After 10 years on the dusty road to democracy, the Czechs are still up to their elbows in mud. Corruption in the Czech Repub-lic's public service sector is above the European average, according to Transparency International (TI), a nonprofit organization that monitors global corruption. The Czech Republic scored a low 4.3 on TI's 2000 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), which is based on a 10-point scale and lists 99 countries. Neighboring Hungary (5.2) and Austria (7.7) proved to have cleaner hands, while Poland (4.1) and the Slovak Republic (3.5) are more corrupt. Honest Finland scored a perfect 10. Since the early 1990s, the Czech Republic has had its share of corruption scandals in such arenas as the privatization process, the banking system and political parties. But those incidents affect the corruption score only in their influence on public perceptions. That's because the CPI is based only on the opinions of businesspeople, risk analysts and the general public -- and how often they appear to pay bribes. Czechs consider state and city administration as the dirtiest sphere, followed by police, health care, banks, Parliament and privatization. "The form of corruption from the times of the revolution has changed," said Michal Burian, executive director of TI's Prague chapter. During communism, small-scale bribery flourished in the retail and personal services, thanks to chronic shortages of basic goods. "You had to pay a bribe even for a kilogram of bananas or oranges," said Burian. "Thanks to the market, that's not the case anymore because you can buy them wherever you want." In comparative surveys done in 1989 and 1998, the percentage of respondents who admitted paying bribes for durable goods fell from 39 percent to 2 percent. But bribes paid for clerical services provided by the state skyrocketed from 3 percent to 31 percent. Evil roots Burian believes bribery in the public administration is rooted in an imbalance between supply and demand. "Commercial courts are a good example of this kind of corruption," he said. "There is much more demand from companies and they can't fulfill it." Salaries that are at or below subsistence level increase the propensity of public servants to accept bribes. This is especially true for doctors, who often need second jobs to make ends meet. The opaque political system is also problematic. "Accountability is three steps away," said Petr Stepanek, citing the municipal electoral system as an example. Stepanek is president of SOS Praha, a coalition of 38 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that keeps tabs on city officials. Prague residents vote for a city council. Council members then elect commissioners, who in turn elect a mayor. "Greater accountability means less corruption," he said. "This system produces the opposite effect." Burian does not pay much heed to anti-corruption legislation. He says it is the system and people's behavior that need changing. He expects a long wait. "It will take another 10 to 15 years to reach the EU average level," he said. "It's really a problem of generations, not laws." Felice Wilson may be reached at fwilson@praguepost.cz More news stories Crime and punishment The Hollywoodesque escape of a murder convict highlights the rise of violent crime in the Czech Republic Czech 'Alcatraz' houses horrors By Brian Hannon Slouf vs. Pithart: History goes to the polls Former communist and dissident fight for position in key Senate election Aristocratic sojourn Prince Charles highlights ties of Prague, London in three-day trip Temelin deal risks collapse Activists renew protests despite compromise by Zeman, Schussel Changes afoot in regions Analysts say Nov. 12 regional elections key to country's future U.S. credentials in Prague CERGE-EI is first graduate school in former Soviet bloc to win U.S. accreditation Klaus logs on Ex-prime minister, a longtime Internet foe, launches Web site Czechs, Roma discover power of stories New project seeks to break racial barriers through storytelling A battle over meaning Activist, government clash over changes in wording on new Lety memorial NEWS BRIEFS