The Secretariat for the Defence of the Judicial System called for comprehensive reforms to the process of appointing members of the country's highest judiciary to ensure that all candidates selected must be made based on qualifications, integrity, and seniority, and not influenced by political connections or personal inclinations of any party.
Why stop there at the judiciary?
What about the appointments for the top position of IGP in the police force, the Chief Commissioner for MACC and the Attorney General?
Yes, a strong and independent police force, an effective MACC and an impartial Attorney General are crucial for good governance.
These 3 branches play vital roles in upholding the rule of law, ensuring accountability, and combating corruption, all of which are essential for a well-functioning and just society.
A capable, trustworthy and ethical police force is the first line of defense against crime and misconduct.
Their independence and effectiveness of MACC are crucial to preventing abuse of power and ensuring that public resources are used for their intended purposes.
An independent and competent Attorney General is essential for ensuring that laws are applied equally to all, regardless of their status or influence.
These 3 branches are interconnected.
A lack of integrity in any one of these branches can undermine the others and weaken the overall system of governance.
These 3 branches create a system of checks and balances that promotes transparency, accountability, and the rule of law, which are fundamental pillars of good governance.
The process for appointing all three should be transparent to ensure public trust and accountability.
Clear merit-based criteria and making the selection process itself should be open to public scrutiny.
Why?
From the time when the country was led by the 4th PM, every of the PM from that time onwards are entangled in some sorts of allegations of corruption themselves.
In fact, the opposition would always accuse the sitting Prime Minister of using the police and MACC to undermine their personal or political opponents, or both.
The track record for all 3 are weak.
MACC was supposed to be an important “accountability mechanism,” but in practice, unfortunately, it failed to reduce corruption.
As non-violent crime is rarely seen as priority, the police is unreliable in helping to curb corruption.
If all 3 branches are effective, the very least is that it can help move the country away from being a ‘corrupt society’ to being a country where corruption occurs and gradually to a corrupt free society, hopefully in the future.
PMX’s support for reforms in the selection of the head for these 3 branches can be seen as a manifestation of his desire to his stated commitment to reform.
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