Thursday, September 03, 2015

Pleasant surprise in Guatemala

Otto Perez Molina, the tough President of the Latin American country Guatemala has resigned in response to a popular furore over his involvement in a multi-million dollar customs scandal. Subsequently, he was arrested on the same day. He has agreed “All Guatemalans have to respect the law, and I assure you I will respect the law and this process.” The process refers to judicial hearings.

Molina was earlier a General in the army. Guatemala's history is pockmarked with a series of military takeovers and scant respect for will of the people. Molina was expected to dig in his heels and continue to ignore the allegations against him. It is not clear what caused change of his mind.

This is something that does not happen in India, putatively the largest democracy in the world. Indian political leaders think that they are armed with impunity against charges of any criminality. Very few among the corrupt in India resign. Even fewer are arrested. It is an inexplicable irony that will of the people prevails in dictatorship-prone countries and it is powerless in a 'democratic' country. 

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