Integrity Pact Campaign: Now, Time for Transparency
According to the logframe of Transparency in Politics Project, Integrity Pact Campaign had been designed for the new Parliament and MPs after the 7 June 2015 General Elections. However, since a government could not be established after that elections and the Parliament worked only for 36 hours, it was impossible to begin a lobbying and advocacy activity after 7 June elections until the 1 November 2015 general elections. The tense political atmosphere, killings of hundreds of civilians and having another election period have affected negatively the planned activity schedule of the project, and also motivations of the project staff. However, as TI-Turkey we continued to work by analysing several integrity pact examples from different countries and sectors. Then, we prepared a document for new MPs of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, which is called as “Dürüstlük Taahhütnamesi” in Turkish.
Importantly, an online Twitter tool was designed in order to get public attention to the campaign and invite both CSOs and citizens to send Twitter messages to new MPs to urge them to sign the Integrity Pact and disclose their assets, which is one of the clauses of the Integrity Pact. At the moment, via acikvekil.seffaflik.org web-page anyone can see who have signed the integrity pact and disclosed his/her assets, thank to them with a Twitter message, and also, call any MP to sign the Pact and disclose his/her assets again with a Twitter message, including #DürüstlükTaahhütnamesi. Tha campaign has began on 11 November 2015 and until now 6 MPs have signed the pact and 20 MPs disclosed their assets. We have to admit that in Turkey individual politicians are almost totally bound to their parties’ decisions. Therefore, even though some of them support the intention of the campaign, they hesitate to sign the pact and disclose their assets and for their act they assert that they need the decision of their political party.
Commitments that we request new MPs to put their signatures under them;
– I will publicly declare my own, and also my wife’s/husband’s and my children’s assets, our debts, other financial liabilities, and our shares or partnerships in any company, if any, annually.
– I will avoid any conflict of interest, that might affect public policies or might be affected by them, with companies to which I am related through the businesses of my relatives, my friends or of my own, or in which I am a member of the executive board; with organizations donated by me or my first degree relatives; with institutions and organizations from which I have received any award or honorary title. And I will publicly declare such conflicts beforehand.
– I will not attempt to influence decision making processes concerning bids, licenses, construction plans, incentives or loans through my political power.
– I will not abuse my political power for purposes such as the employment of my family members, friends or any other person in public and private sector, or in non-governmental organizations.
– I will not be a part of any illegal conflict of interest; I will not profit from doing or not doing a business as a matter of my duty as a deputy for natural and legal persons, or for my relatives. I will not accept any gift, no matter its value, directly or indirectly given by any person or institution.
– If I become a candidate for the next general elections, I will publicly declare my personal election campaign budget, my financial resources and campaign spending after the election.
– I will strive for the legislation of a Political Ethics Law and for the abolition of parliamentary immunity and public officials’ immunity from investigation, prosecution or adjudication of corruption offenses as emphasized in the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).
– While realizing these goals, especially concerning the issues of transparency and accountability in political financing, and fighting against corruption, I will cooperate with relevant civil society organizations and groups.
For the full version of the Integrity Pack, please click
