It is most unfortunate, but a number of Caribbean countries have been stained by corruption that has not gone unchecked in the international community.

Drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, police killings, facilitating tax evasion, bribery of politicians, human rights abuses of every kind, corruption in governance, and lack of transparency in public procurement are but a few of the ills affecting the region.

Just as unfortunate is the fact that some politicians regard holding political office as an opportunity to enrich themselves, their family, friends and the corporate donors to whom they are beholden. Their motto is ‘ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country can do for you’.

They delude themselves that they are giving such service to their country that they are entitled to certain privileges. As such, they apparently see nothing wrong with placing their family and friends in advantageous positions for contracts with the government.

We acknowledge that every political system has been affected by corruption — known in common parlance as the politics of crony capitalism. However, this does not mean that citizens of any country should accept it, particularly those living in poor Caribbean states.

The politics of crony capitalism has reached a new level of depravity where some persons appointed to diplomatic and representative posts in international institutions are being selected with no regard for qualifications or pertinent experience.

Admittedly, that is no crime, but it is corruption nonetheless, and we don’t expect that our politicians will clean that up anytime soon.

There should be an audit by a bipartisan committee of Parliament of the individuals in such positions, and anyone being appointed from outside the civil service should have to pass the scrutiny of a parliamentary committee, as is the practice in the Congress of the United States, to ensure that candidates’ qualifications and experience match the terms of reference of the posts.

People put in overseas posts cannot be going there to learn or get experience, they must be capable. They must declare their assets prior to, and at the end of their term. They must also be required to show, to both national and foreign authorities, their income and the source of any large deposits made during their tenure.

In addition, such declarations must be available to the tax authorities of both the host country and the appointing country.

If Caribbean governments will not, or cannot, implement these measures, then they might find that the security and tax agencies of overseas governments may exercise security with potentially embarrassing results.