The 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index

Corruption hinders economic growth and the delivery of public services. In some cases, corruption even deprives people of their human rights and dignity, like when citizens are coerced to provide sexual favours in exchange for public services, such as health and education – a practice known as sexual extortion or “sextortion”.

2019 Global Corruption Barometer Report for Latin America and the Caribbean

At a rally to launch the APNU+AFC election campaign, the President stated that constitutional reform would be a priority if the coalition wins the forthcoming elections. In apparent reference to the 21 December 2018 no confidence vote, he asserted that one of the reasons for doing so is to ensure that ‘the nonsense they tried with us over the last 12 months does not happen again’. Critics would argue that in 2014, when in opposition, the President’s party, APNU, joined forces with the AFC to table a motion of no confidence in the Government. The only difference was that before the motion could have been debated and voted on, former President Donald Ramotar prorogued Parliament, then dissolved it, thereby paving the way for the historic May 2015 national and regional elections.