万花筒 2010-10-29&10-31 2010腐败国家排行榜出炉（在线收听）

When it comes to alleged corruption, some countries are continually accused. The group Transparency International ranks those coutries. Its research has found some surprises this year and some rather deep concerns. Ralitsa Vassileva joins us now from CNN center with the group's findings. Manisha, it is a corrupt world according to the lastest annual study by Transparency International which is an NGO which rates the perception of corruption around the world. Almost 3/4 you can see it here in those countries in orange and red. Almost 3/4 of the 178 countries surveyed are scoring below 5, out of maximum 10 rating,ten being very clean, zero being most corrupt. Topping the list of least corrupt countries, Denmark, New Zealand, Singapore and Finland. While those perceived as most corrupt are Somalia, Myanmar, Afghanistan and Iraq. The UK is rating 7.7, it is in an all time low while the US has declined from 20th to 22nd. The Executive Director of UK Transparency International Chandrashekhar Krishnan says this is a worrisome trend. "We in Transparency International define corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. And often greed is the motivator for private gain. Now that's a problem which you find in both developed and developing countries. But of course the scale of the problem are varying and precise causes are varying. In countries like Afghanistan and Somalia who are at the bottom of the index this year. I think the key issue is that the state's institutions are very weak.Institutions are very weak,policies are weak,and awareness of the corruption issue is also very low. Now in countries like the UK and the US, what we have seen is a problem with institutions."Well, the study also finds that Russia is the most corrupt major economy. While Greece's rating has slipped to where its corruption is on a part with China's. And Isreal is perceived as more corrupt more than Qatar and UAE, back to you.
So what can be done to fight corruption, Ralitsa?
Oh, Manisha, Transparency International says fighting corruption is a two-way street which requires the engagement of both the governments and their citizens. "The fundamental thing is that those who govern must be fully transparent and accountable to their citizens. And citizens must demand that transparency and accountability. Now in some situations where democracy is fragile,one may have to rely on other institutions like, for instance, the media or civil society to have to articulate those demands for transparency and accountability. "And there is hope. Some countries that have improved their scores which shows that anti-corruption measures can change public perceptions. Chile, Ecuador, Macedonia as well as Kuwait and Qatar have made progress in fighting graft over the past year, back to you.
Good to hear about good news stories. Thanks a lot, Ralitsa, for that very interesting research.