Democracy is a unique balance between empowering the people and gridlock. Having understood the roles of the three branches of Government, the executive, the legislation and the judiciary, one can easily mistake them as independent of each other. In fact and practice, both the legislation and the judiciary depend on the executive for administrative and development funds and can be hindered by the said executive, which begs the question “Should there be an independent publicly elected comptroller of the public purse”.Many jurisdictions have independent elections for all three branches of Government. The executive and legislative branches are commonly elected in some type of national event and others are calling for public hearing on judicial appointments. This call goes further to include the election of key public servants or independent officeholders to bring a high level of integrity and diminish direct political influence on decisions. A forth branch of Government perhaps, the public service, where public budgeting, public auditing, public prosecution and other sensitive decisions are made.
Qualified and experienced professionals, opening their lives to the public and promising to maintain or improve the integrity and independence of the office, will offer some level of fairness to the system. So, if one did not vote for the executive, comfort can be found in the public service. Noting that the executive branch will still wheel the big stick ‘funding’, these independent officers can plead directly to the public.
An independent office of budgets can forecast the executive’s plans and priorities without undue influence being placed on the figures. All development plans and request for increases in administrative funds from local or national and every branch of Government is cost by this office and reflects the projected revenues and of course, the earnings or deficit. This office of budgets is not responsible for the calls (the types of projects or the salary increases) or the takings (the taxes charged or collected), the job is to publicly report how the executive branch decisions would affect the public purse going forward.
An independent public auditor can report exactly what took place without political pressure being applied. This office will force efficiencies across all public spending and timely revenue collections simply because of its public reporting. All of the executive branch development projects will be scrutinized for wastage and changes that increase cost will become public. The public auditor is not responsible for the type or number of projects undertaken and cannot stop the executive branch from implementing, the focus is to report accurately and prudently.
An independent public prosecutor can made decisions that are seen as totally based on evidence and not vindictiveness. Decisions to charge the rich and powerful as they would the poor and helpless based not on hearsay, but on verifiable facts. Without being forewarned but with equal respect, this office must always bear-in-mind that one is innocent until proven guilty. The holder of this office reports to and is beholden only to the public not the executive branch.
Rationale
T.A.J & Associates Company Limited uses this occasion to comment on topics that have been covered, both academically and by the mainstream media, to add its opinion and point out investment opportunity, not to invoke any social action.
