by Linda Straker
There was no representation from the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) when the Office of the Integrity Commission (OIC) conducted its Educational Outreach Seminar for political parties at the National Stadium on Wednesday.
Addressing the opening session, Eunice Sandy-David, Administrative Officer at the Office of the Integrity Commission, said that invitations were sent to 15 political parties. However, it was quite noticeable that there was no representation from the NDC.
Randal Robinson, Public Relations Officer for the NDC later said that he was unaware of an invitation to the party and had called around to senior officials, who told him they themselves were not aware. However, the Office of the Integrity Commission later confirmed that the invitation was sent to the party through the political leader, who, in telephone communication with the OIC confirmed receipt of the invitation.
Topics covered included: Building an anti-corruption culture in Grenada; The anti-corruption environment, and Best Practices. Speakers were staff and commissioners of the OIC including Chairperson Lady Anande Trotman-Joseph.
Describing the session as synergetic engagement, Trotman-Joseph told the participants, “We will share with you all that we have being doing to ensure that we are building an anti-corruption system and anti-corruption culture in Grenada.” The office has been in existence for the past 7 years and the session is to share with the political parties the mandate of the office.
“This is to tell you why we are doing what we are doing, how we are doing it, what we are doing and by what guidelines we are doing it, what we are following,” she told the participants which included independent candidates and recently launched political parties.
Encouraging all the participants to read the Integrity in Public Life Legislation, she told them that it will be become a very important piece of legislation once they are aspiring to public life and public service. “This legislation has a code of conduct for persons who are aspiring for public life are bound,” she said.
The purpose of the Commission — which has 7 commissioners representing various stakeholders — is to improve governance through ensuring integrity in public life, to obtain declarations of assets, liabilities, income and interests in relation to persons in public life and to give effect to the provision of the anti-corruption conventions signed by Grenada.