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What could be better than talking about rulers who never supported their relatives by including them in government positions? Nepotism refers to the principle of using positions to appoint family members or friends to certain jobs or give them other types of benefits without considering merit and ability.
Unfortunately, in El Salvador, these bad practices still exist in state power. This is even more evident in the Legislative Assembly (AL). This bad practice is inherited and it is expected that this government will no longer allow it. Nepotism makes democracy sick. There is no public administration in terms of transparency. Nepotism will always be exposed.
El Salvador has an honor system where it is impossible to verify whether hired people receive salaries or bonuses. In other governments, we have learned of lists of people hired for nepotism. When nepotism exists, fairness, honesty and transparency disappear.
In this way, there is no nepotism in the family, and before, instead of just looking at the last name, brothers-in-law, daughters-in-law, mothers-in-law, sons-in-law, friends filled the positions of the Legislative Assembly. In contrast, they are largely unsuitable for positions of this nature. Recently a list of people employed in the Legislative Assembly was circulated (…). They were placed out of companionship or friendship. It is clear that they have no relevant research to hold these positions. When will nepotism end in El Salvador?
It is time to trust the political class; however, without transparency, there is no real democracy. For the government to function well, it must be clear what positions are assigned. In the El Salvadorian Legislative Assembly, they have appointed positions for consultants, communicators, etc. who have no skills or abilities. What happens to professionals in political science or law?
Logically, to apply for a consultant post, you have to do research to plan and implement policies that will help the country develop. AL has committees that discuss the entire mechanism of national development. There needs to be an order. Earlier, the media observed that different political parties were discussing the law. Now they don’t even do that. Laws are just approved without analysis.
Interestingly, countries like France have implemented stricter laws to enforce nepotism. Importantly, there is also a law in the United States that prohibits Trump from appointing his daughter and son-in-law as advisors while he is president. I have always admired former Uruguayan President Jose Mujica, who did not go around sending family or friends to join his government; in addition, he implemented austerity policies. Chile, Costa Rica, and Uruguay are examples of countries where nepotism does not exist.
Nepotism is corruption, when officials use their power to help others. The opposite of nepotism is meritocracy. Hiring professionals and others without favoritism is fair.
Does El Salvador have nepotism laws? In 2006, the LEG government ethics law provides for penalties for those who commit this bad practice. Since its enactment in the Administrative Code in 2018, the law “makes it an ethical prohibition for public officials to hire, appoint, promote or advance a relative by blood, affinity, spouse or cohabitation… Public officials do not take any factors into account when granting a job offer. Regardless of whether the person is qualified for the position…”.
The above are things that successive governments have failed to do. The current government continues to practice nepotism blatantly. We will not get ahead this way. There are hundreds of competent, capable and respectable professionals who can be appointed on merit. Seeing this corruption is enough.
Fidel López Eguizábal is a research professor at Francisco Gavidia University
flopez@ufg.edu.sv
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