01.06.09

Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov said a strong ideological campaign is needed for overcoming public tolerance to corruption.

People's indifference may prove to be the main threat to anti-corruption efforts in Russia, he said on Wednesday.

"Unfortunately, we have to speak about a discouraging historical tradition of public tolerance to manifestations of corruption and legal nihilism that continues and in some cases even grows as people do not know their rights and obligations. Inertia of public conscience is very hard to overcome," Konovalov said in the Federation Council on Wednesday, as he presented his report on anti-corruption measures and interaction between the state and society.

"According to some public opinion polls, up to one quarter of our citizens assess the corruption situation positively and believe that corruption should remain," the minister said.

"This is a serious factor that endangers the anti-corruption policy. We deal with a large number of people in Russia who are used to either avoiding punishment for violating the law using corruption schemes or obtaining unjustified preferences in circumvention of lawful ways, or who have put up with extortion of bribes by government officials for absolutely lawful actions and prefer not to change the situation," he said.

"We should also recognise the fact that corruption has very sophisticated and rapidly adjusting schemes, involves huge sums of money, a nig shadow budget and all achievements of science and technology that are currently available to mankind," Konovalov said.

"The ultimate purpose of the anti-corruption policy is to inculcate not just aversion to but total hate of corruption in society," he said, adding, "Each person should begin with himself, stop breaking the law and putting himself in a situation where a bribe is extorted from him for breaking the law."

He believes this can be done by improving legal awareness. To this end, a draft law has been worked out to grant free legal aid to poor sections of the population.

Konovalov stressed that legal culture has to begin to be taught from school.

"We are talking about measures starting from school age," he said, adding that it would be necessary to foster a corporate culture in mass media, air and cable broadcasting networks. "There must be strict rules that cannot be violated, and violators will face concrete penalties albeit administrative. I mean the distribution of pornographic and other materials that provoke the population or incite an unhealthy attitude towards violence and disrespect for law," Konovalov said.

Asked what he thinks about the idea of publishing the names of government officials convicted for corruption. "On the whole, I think, the importance of explanatory work with the population, including in terms of anti-corruption policy, is quite big."

"Effective measures will require a large-scale state policy that will induce anti-corruption behaviour," the minister added.

"There must be a strong ideological policy of the state promoting respect for law, court, law and order. But we should also understand quite clearly that no matter how good such policy may be, if it is carried out without improving civil service and anti-corruption work, we will get a gap that will be considered by people as hypocrisy and won't do any good," he said.

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Source: Itar-Tass