The Foundation for Justice board agreed in 2014 to get going and find a way to address the widespread corruption that was beginning to overwhelm us as a society and as citizens. From there, a group of 28 qualified professionals in different areas of knowledge and experience in the Administration, got to work and prepared a first document with 99 proposals, which was open to new contributions from civil society, and in 35 days they received another 251 proposals from individuals.
For three months, a total of 15 working groups outlined the initiatives that concluded in the 150 points included in the State Pact against Corruption and for Civic Regeneration, presented in Valencia on December 9, 2015, International Day against corruption in the Auditorium of the La Nau building.
The seven political parties with representation in the Community (Compromís, Podemos, UPyD, EU, PSPV-PSOE, PP and Ciudadanos), as well as representatives of public and private entities and individuals, adhered to this Pact.
The document proposes, among other measures, the elimination of the free appointment of administrative positions and applying the Public Service Law "to the last consequences"; abolish foundations, joint ventures and consortia financed by the public treasury; control reserved funds; and "objective and homogeneous" criteria to set the salaries of public officials.
The pact also contemplates "slimming the political leadership" in each institution; that no politician may hold, for at least 4 years after leaving office, management positions in companies in the area in which he held the position; suppress the Senate (only accepted by UPyD, EU and Ciudadanos) and the provincial councils; "prohibit transfuguism", and limit tenure in the same position to 8 years.
It also proposes changing the Electoral Law to implement a system of "open lists" (which the EU, PSPV and Ciudadanos oppose); “open and mandatory primaries” elections; prohibit politicians from serving on regulatory bodies or being directors of savings banks; and a law to protect officials who reveal illegal government activities.
In matters of Justice, it requests that the election of the members of the Court of Accounts, the General Council of the Judiciary, the Supreme and Constitutional Courts, presidents of the TSJ and provincial Courts be through a regulated merit contest, "competent professionals without any link political," said Tomás Tío.
One of the most controversial points included in the Pact is the withdrawal of urban planning powers from city councils "as the main focus of political corruption", which only Podemos and UPyD have supported, as well as the elimination of the Senate, which only UPyD has supported, EU and Ciudadanos, and implement open lists, which EU, PSPV and Ciudadanos oppose.
The only party that assumed all the proposals was UPyD, followed by Podemos (149 of the total), Compromís (148); Esquerra Unida (143), PSPV (131), PP (125) and Ciudadanos (122).
Documents:
State Pact against corruption and for civic regeneration
Presentation at the International Congress on Transparency and Access to Information