Executive Summary and various discussions with a range of stakeholders, informed the CRM of the persistence of corruption in the Mauritius Police Force (MPF), the Customs Department of the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA), and the National Transport Authority. 1.104 Since the adoption of the Prevention of Corruption Act (POCA) in 2002, the fight against corruption has taken a new turn, since this law applies to all civil servants and individuals invested with public authority (ministers, MPs, members of constitutional commissions, etc.). POCA provided for the creation of ICAC, which is currently the main player in the anticorruption drive. The legislature also plays an important role via its Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which monitors the effectiveness of the management of public finances. In addition, MPs have the power to question the relevance and/or transparency of the activities of the Central Executive. In recent years, the combined efforts of ICAC and the judiciary have led to judicial proceedings being instituted against ministers accused of acts of corruption. Commonly the most likely occasion for corrupt practices, during the interface between the public and the private sectors, is in the awarding of public contracts However, POCA’s scope for intervention is very limited in respect of corruption in the private sector. While the state’s focus is on corruption in the public sector, the private sector’s ability to defeat this scourge depends solely on voluntary initiatives that seek to develop tools of good governance. 1.105 The absence of a legal framework covering the financial activities of political parties as well as the corrupt behaviour of certain candidates are both elements that damage the very foundation of the Mauritian integrity system. Corruption in the realm of political finance generally takes many forms, ranging from vote-buying and the use of illicit funds to the sale of appointments and the abuse of state resources. As the source of much of the money that funds political corruption, the corporate sector has a vital role to play in ending this abuse of power. In Mauritius, the private sector has taken the lead in promoting ethical standards and in calling on all those who wish to donate to political parties to record in their accounts the amounts given and the beneficiaries nominated. However, because political parties are not obliged to publish their accounts or to say how much they receive from the private sector, it is difficult to talk meaningfully about transparency in the financing of political parties in Mauritius 30 Executive Summary 1.106 Another challenge facing the government is the need to close the legal loopholes affecting the issue of corruption. Some of these loopholes include the following: the fact that ICAC hasn’t the power to undertake prosecutions without the approval of the director of public prosecutions (DPP); the need for more effective protection of whistle-blowers in order to encourage them to step forward; a lack of political finance regulations; and the need for the approval of the principal/owner before prosecution of corruption in the private sector can commence. 1.107 As in many African countries, as well as in other areas of governance in Mauritius, a major challenge in the fight against corruption is ineffective implementation owing to limited capacity. Claims have been made that the prosecution or investigation of alleged cases of corruption is sometimes prevented owing to high-level political intervention, especially when such allegations are levelled against senior officials and well-placed individuals. This perception undermines the credibility of the entire exercise, and the government should take energetic efforts to eliminate it. Managing diversity 1.108 Cultural, ethnic, racial and religious diversity is a characteristic of Mauritius. When effectively managed, diversity enriches a country’s social fabric and heritage through the peaceful and vibrant coexistence of its different peoples. Experience from many countries in Africa and elsewhere shows that, in order for diversity to be a positive force in a country, it must be effectively and carefully managed through deliberate state policies aimed at expanding and ensuring equal opportunities for all groups that are part of the diverse whole. Failure to do so invariably leads to inequalities in social, economic and political status and the stratification of society on racial, ethnic, religious and other bases. These inequalities then breed resentment and deep-seated grievances, which may erupt in violent conduct of one sort or another. 1.109 In recent times, Mauritius has been able to successfully avoid any negative manifestations of its diversity. This is not, however, a sufficient enough reason for the country to become complacent, especially since the main indicators of diversity assuming negative connotations are increasingly present in Mauritian society. These indicators include the exclusion of particular ethnic or religious groups from political, social and economic opportunities on the one hand, and, on the other, 31