We Were Told They Would Get Democracy, Now They Do!

Money "can buy government appointments, bypass justice or evade police," while the government is "unable or unwilling to seriously tackle corruption," it said. The group said it interviewed 1,258 Afghans for the study. The courts and the Interior Ministry were highlighted as the most corrupt institutions. The group's executive director, Lorenzo Delesgues, pointed to weak law enforcement as a main reason for corruption and bribery. "Corruption has undermined the legitimacy of the state," Delesgues told a news conference. The group, which conducted the survey in 13 provinces, said 93 percent of the respondents believed that bribes had to be paid for more than half of public services and administrative work. The report said impunity and unaccountability of civil servants underpinned corruption. Despite the reports of widespread bribery and corruption, 45 percent of respondents said corruption had little or no effect on their households. The report did not provide a margin of error for the survey. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/19/asia/AS-GEN-Afghan-Corruption.php

Note: http://www.iht.com/arti...