Interfax: Human rights activists expect Russia to achieve anti-corruption results in 30 years

Cropped File Photo of Two Men in Business Suits Shaking Hands and Passing Cash

(Interfax – December 3, 2014) Russia may achieve tangible anti-corruption results by the middle of this century on the condition the crackdown on corruption starts right now, said Yelena Panfilova, chairperson of the board of the Transparency International anti-corruption research center.

“We are asked at every meeting whether we can follow the example of Singapore [which made impressive progress in the fight against corruption]. The answer is no. But even if we could, we would have achieved lasting results no earlier than in 30 years,” Panfilova said at a press conference at Interfax.

“[Singapore Prime Minister] Lee Kuan Yew launched the reforms in the middle of the 1960s and lasting results were achieved only in the early 1990s,” Panfilova said.

“From the point of view of the duration of this process [the fight against corruption] we can say that it has not even begun,” the Transparency International representative noted.

December 9 is the International Anti-Corruption Day, Panfilova said. “An anti-corruption department was formed at the presidential administration on the eve of that day last year and it finally started to coordinate these efforts,” she said.

“For the past 20 years, about 13 departments were absolutely positive that they were in charge of fighting corruption and coordinating the efforts of everyone else,” Panfilova said. “The sphere was put in order only a year ago. I have to say that interaction between [the new department of the presidential administration] and the civil society institute has been rather constructive. This unit looks rather efficient but, I repeat, it is just one year old.”

 

Comment