Sixty-nine percent of Guyanese believe that most or all members of political parties here are involved in corrupt practices, according to the World Justice Project report 2022 which was released on Wednesday
This was a key finding of the report taken from the General Population Poll (GPP) conducted for the World Justice Project in 2022.
In its section on corruption, the report said:
Between 2018 and 2022, public views on the pervasiveness of corruption within the legislature, the executive branch, the judiciary, and law enforcement deteriorated in Guyana. Perceptions of corruption deteriorated most for judges and magistrates and public defense attorneys, with a 25- and 24-point increase, respectively, in the percentage of respondents who believe that most or all of these actors engage in corrupt practices.
Political parties are considered the most corrupt institution in Guyana. Approximately 69% of respondents believe that most or all members of Guyanese political parties are involved in corrupt practices.
Teachers in public schools are considered the least corrupt actors in Guyana, with 36% of respondents reporting that they believe most or all teachers are involved in corrupt practices.
More than half (59%) of Guyanese who participated in the rule of law survey felt that top government officials attack or attempt to discredit opposition parties, attack or attempt to discredit the electoral system and other supervisory organs, seek to influence the promotion and removal of judges (58%), and prosecute and convict members of opposition parties (58%). The World Justice Project (WJP) describes itself as an independent, multidisciplinary organisation working to create knowledge, build awareness, and stimulate action to advance the rule of law worldwide.
According to the report, the GPP was conducted between July and August 2022 through face-to-face interviews to a nationally representative sample of 500 Guyanese households. The poll was designed to capture data on the experiences and perceptions of ordinary people regarding a variety of themes related to the rule of law. While the findings indicate some positive trends in the general public’s perspective on the rule of law in Guyana, including relatively high levels of trust in institutions and high rates of crime reporting, it also highlights the fact that many challenges—including relatively negative perceptions of fundamental freedoms, worsening perceptions of personal safety, and negative views on police performance—persist.
The thematic briefs of the report focused on the current rule of law ecosystem in Guyana, while simultaneously illuminating changes over time and comparisons across peer countries in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas region. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of the Guyanese polled also believe that the government censors information from abroad, while 56% believe the government refused to comply with court rulings that are not in their favour.
And compared to respondents in regional peer countries, Guyanese respondents, on average, had more negative perceptions of the state’s respect for freedoms of expression, elections, and religion.
“When asked about respect for fundamental freedoms in Guyana, respondents had more favourable views on freedoms of political participation, with 72% of respondents agreeing that people can attend community meetings. Conversely, Guyanese respondents had less favourable views on electoral freedoms, with 29% of respondents agreeing that local government officials are elected through a clean process,” the report indicated. According to the report, perceptions of the state’s respect for almost all fundamental freedoms deteriorated in Guyana between 2018 and 2022, with the exception of the perception that the media can expose cases of corruption. The most significant declines include decreases in the perceptions that local government officials are elected through a clean process (down 38 percentage points), people can vote freely without feeling harassed or pressured (down 27 percentage points), and religious minorities can observe their holy days (down 24 percentage points).
Corruption and trust
According to the report, public views on the pervasiveness of corruption within the legislature and among national government officers deteriorated in almost every country in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas. Within the region, on average, more Haitian respondents reported perceptions of corruption across all actors than their regional peers, whereas Surinamese respondents reported the same least frequently. It was the same for Guyana as the report found that between 2018 and 2022, public views on the pervasiveness of corruption within the legislature, the executive branch, the judiciary, and law enforcement also deteriorated in Guyana. “Perceptions of corruption deteriorated most for judges and magistrates and public defence attorneys, with a 25- and 24-point increase, respectively, in the percentage of respondents who believe that most or all of these actors engage in corrupt practices,” the report said.
Teachers in public schools are considered the least corrupt actors in Guyana, with 36% of respondents reporting that they believe most or all teachers are involved in corrupt practices. And thirty-six percent (36%) of Guyanese respondents most often felt that it was acceptable for a public officer to be recruited on the basis of family ties and friendship networks. Another 20% least often felt that it was acceptable for a company official to ask for a bribe from a job applicant.
Bribery victimization
The report indicated that on average, respondents in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas reported paying a bribe most often in Haiti and least often in The Bahamas. Throughout the region, respondents most frequently had to pay a bribe when interacting with police officers and car registration agency officers in the last 12 months, on average. Respondents least frequently had to pay a bribe when interacting with public utility company officers.
In contrast, respondents in Guyana reported the highest overall levels of trust. Between 2018 and 2022, Guyana’s most significant trends in trust in institutions include an increase in trust in local government officials (up 10 percentage points) and a decrease in trust in public defence attorneys (down 9 percentage points).
Crime victimization
According to the report approximately half (51%) of Guyanese respondents reported experiencing a crime in the last 12 months, a figure above the regional average (29%). Some 62% of the Guyanese respondents who were victims of a crime reported the crime to an authority and, of those who reported, 75% filed an official crime report. In Guyana, 1 in 2 (50%) respondents reported feeling safe walking in their neighbourhood at night in 2022, marking a significant decline from 68% of respondents in 2018. The local respondents with a lighter skin tone were less likely to feel safe walking in their neighbourhood at night than respondents with other sociodemographic characteristics.
Criminal justice
In this area, Guyanese respondents were most confident that the criminal justice system ensures equal treatment of victims (52%) and is effective in delivering justice (49%). Guyanese respondents were least confident that the criminal justice system ensures uniform quality of service (39%) and gives appropriate punishments (40%). It said that perceptions of adherence to uniform quality of service in the Guyanese criminal justice system worsened the most between 2018 and 2022, with a decline of 11 percentage points.
Police performance
When asked about their impressions of police performance, respondents in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas had the most negative views on accountability and due process and the most positive views on absence of discrimination and public service, on average, the report said. Comparably when asked about their impressions of police performance, respondents in Guyana were most confident that:
Police help them feel safe (51%).
Police treat all people with respect (51%).
Police respond to crime reports (49%).
Police resolve security problems in the community (49%).
Respondents in Guyana were least confident that:
Police respect the rights of suspects (29%).
Police are held accountable for accepting bribes (31%).
Police are held accountable for seeking bribes (33%).
Police are investigated for misconduct (33%).
Police are not involved in corrupt practices (33%).
In Guyana, respondents most often indicated that suspects with a darker skin tone and younger suspects would most likely be at a disadvantage in a criminal investigation.
Founded by William H. Neukom in 2006 as a presidential initiative of the American Bar Association (ABA), and with the initial support of 21 other strategic partners, the World Justice Project transitioned into an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2009, its website said. Its offices are located in Washington DC, Seattle, Singapore, and Mexico City.
