INTRODUCTION

Political ethics are based on responsibility and accountability. In democracy, holders of political office are accountable to people. Laws and rules enforce this accountability, though rather imperfectly. They also reflect society’s ethical consciousness based on a shared vision of what is good and just. As we saw before, democracy rests on the belief that all persons holding power get it from the

people; or that public functionaries are trustees of the people. The increasing role of government increases the influence which ministers and civil servants exercise over lives of people. Trusteeship here means that the authority entrusted to the officials should be exercised in the best interest of the people or in ‘public interest’.