Now that we have established that Nepe's group is NOT a democratic one but a rabidly partisan one wearing a democratic khol (and that's fine so long as people see the group as it really is and NOT as it wishes it to be seen!), let's move on to additional thought-provoking kura-kani on corruption. ** Last June, I asked Steve Levitt at the University of Chicago -- of "Freakonomics" fame -- how he thought corruption might be curbed. Here is what he said. Please see question number 6. Free registration required to access the article http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/08/readersopinions/questions-freakonomics.html?ex=1138251600&en=dcd46cd6f170805c&ei=5070 ***** On another note, recently, in my two-hour guest-lecture on "law and economics" to the law students at the Kathmandu School of Law in Bhaktapur, the issue of corruption came up prominently. I think KSL students are now putting together an in-house journal in Nepali bhasa that addresses governance and corruption issues in Nepal. That's a small step toward raising awareness against corruption, really. ************ Not only in Nepal, but political parties are thought to be the most corrupt bodies around the world. Don't take my word for it. "Political parties top corruption perception chart: Three quarters of citizens surveyed globally said they view political parties as being the most corrupt group in society, according to Transparency International's 2005 Global Corruption Barometer." Read the rest (with links to the TI's papers) at: - http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri=tcm:29-150846-16&type=News oohi "if you are undemocratic, you will surely be corrupt and few will know about the extent of your corruption. If you are democratic, you will STILL be corrupt, but your chances of being caught will be much, much higher!" ashu