MALU LA .... WEH!

THE STRANGENESS OF SOME PEOPLE. The deputy mayor of London resigned from his post due to the media coverage and investigation of the allegations against him. The New York Times, 4th of July report, has this to say:

"Ray Lewis resigned tonight as deputy mayor of London amid allegations of inappropriate behaviour and financial irregularities.

Mr Lewis, who was put in charge of leading the capital's policy of youth crime, said he had stepped down in the face of an "avalanche" of allegations against him..."

Interesting isnt it? How politicians from other countries take their own political life by performing the political sepukku aka harakiri when theres even a hint of irregularities by firstly, apologizing to their public, secondly stand by their missus with a sorry look on their faces and thirdly, stepping down within the same 24 hours of the surfacing of the allegations citing the need to protect party / government image and reputation. Mind you its not even a direct charge, or anything more serious than a mere allegation and off they go.

The positive outcome of this are:

a. a proper investigation can now be carried out;
b. maintenance of the party / body / organization's dignity and integrity;
c. if they are innocent, they will endear to the general public; and
d. the understanding that life goes on. With or without you.

But not so with our own breed of politicos. If you notice, they'd do everything (except maybe balance themselves on a unicycle on top of a wire over a 10 feet high raging fire) to maintain their seat and position. Its almost as if they're very own flesh and soul are entwined, burned and symbiotically joined with their political career; that the moment they step down from their position their bodies will slump to the ground and their spirits go wafting up to the clouds lost forever amidst commercial planes and the odd seagull.

They'd come up with a million and one excuses, officially known as "reasons" as to why they should remain where they are; they'd fight tooth and nail to stay on the seat to maintain at the top, to maintain the giddy height of power.

And its embarrassing. Not just for us, but for everyone else especially themselves. Do they really believe that if they step down all allegations are justified? Have they not heard the legal axiom that all are innocent until proven guilty? Or have they no faith in due process (regardless of which era they belong to)?

My question of the day is: Have they no self respect? No dignity? No conscience? No sense of malu-ness?