No surprises during lockdown

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL
In the coronavirus era, there are two kinds of decisions: emergency responses to the crisis and everything else.

As worldwide lockdowns and states of emergency limit public oversight, it is becoming increasingly clear that any ongoing non-emergency business that requires thorough deliberation needs to be postponed. Crisis-mode governance has to be limited to emergency matters only.

Yet, some decisionmakers are reportedly pressing ahead with contested measures or even slipping in some surprises while public attention is elsewhere.

In Georgia, Transparency International and other civil society groups today criticised the Supreme Court’s unexpected decision to consider an important judicial appointment while the country is under the state of emergency. The seat has been vacant since December 2019. Back then, civil society urged the Supreme Court to propose a candidate as soon as possible. Making this decision now, behind closed doors, will undermine public trust in the judiciary.

Transparency International Ukraine has called on its government to postpone making important political decisions for as long as citizens do not have the opportunity to make their voices heard.

Alarmingly, in Hungary, new legislation that would effectively end legal recognition of trans people has been introduced this week as part of an omnibus bill with dozens of other proposals. We are calling on the government to adhere to the rule of law during the state of emergency. 

In Poland, the government fast-tracked electoral reforms deemed unconstitutional to press ahead with presidential elections scheduled for May. Holding elections while public attention is on containing the virus will limit the information voters get. Movement restrictions will make campaigning impractical, and most likely result in low turnouts. As International IDEA warns, holding elections during these times could also undermine democracy.

Finally, in Montenegro, the government is cynically moving forward with a highly controversial piece of legislation that would significantly restrict citizens’ right to information.

Access to information can be a matter of life and death, especially during a pandemic. The Montenegrin government should delay the debate on the law until after the crisis.

In such delicate times, any move that would conceal abuses of power is completely unacceptable. Instead, governments should be focusing on saving lives and mitigating the economic crisis.

What do you think? Let us know @anticorruption.