Eight characteristics of good governance

DEAREDITOR,

In a recent conversation onthetopicofpoliticswitha group of young people and three elderly women, a young man angrily exclaimed,“Politicsisavery dirtyprofession!”Oneofthe elders immediately rebuked him,saying: “No son, it is a very honourable profession with many dirty, dirty people in it ” Following those remarks, I contemplated for some time on the two individuals’perceptions and decided to share my views on the topic with readers of your newspaper My views, however,areprimarilybased on Politicians and Politricksters, especially those within the Caribbean region.

Politics, as defined by Dictionary com, is “the practice or study of the art and science of forming, d i r e c t i n g , a n d administrating states and other political units” It defines Politician as “ a person who is experienced or skilled in the art or science of politics, g o v e r n m e n t , o r administration”. But what about Politrickster? In local parlance, politrickster is defined as ‘a devious or dishonest politician who does not keep his/her promises’ Themajorroleof politiciansistorepresentthe people.Whenpeoplevoteto have a particular party in government, they expect good governance, which speaks to the proper utilization of the country’s resources for sustainable development.

Mohit Bhattacharya

(2013) posited that good governance needs to be discussed beyond the World Bank and other funding agencies. He said: “A more creative approach would be to treat the issues as new opportunities to have a fresh look at state-civil society relationships in today’s c o m p l e x w o r l d o f governance.”

Listed below are eight characteristics of Good Governance posited by Bhattacharya:

1Participation

The participation of citizens in the process of governance is the key characteristic of good governance. The aims and objectives of the political rights would be fulfilled by the greater participation of thepeopleinthesociety.The legal framework represents theruleoflawwhichensures impartiality in terms of participationinthedecisionmaking process of governance.

2.RuleofLaw

Another important characteristic of good governanceistheruleoflaw

It needs a fair legal framework to establish the rule of law in society The rule of law ensures impartiality which helps to protect human rights, particularly for those most marginal in society The independent judiciary system, its impartial nature, and an incorruptible police forcearethekeyelementsto ensuretheruleoflaw

3.Transparency

Governance needs transparency for the fair delivery of services to the citizens.Itensuresabalance between policymaking and its enforcement following properrulesandregulations. It enables the citizen to access governmental information regarding various policies and their implementationfreely

4.Responsiveness

Responsiveness can m o t i v a t e t h e interrelationships between administrationandpeople.It requires sufficient services to the people within a specifictime.

5.ConsensusOriented Governance depends on the consensus of people in society to make it good. It could fulfill the interests of the people as well as the community It helped to achieve the long-term perspective of human development.

6 Equity and Inclusiveness

Anequitable,justsociety must be established for ensuring good governance.

Society’s well-being dependsonhowitsmembers feelaboutit.Itrequiresallits members to feel that they haveastakeinitandtheyare not excluded from the mainstream in the governance.

7. Effectiveness and Efficiency

Effectiveness and efficiency ensure the outcomes of the institutions tomeettheneedsofsociety

Proper utilization of society’s resources for the establishment of sustainable development is the key to good governance. It also ensures the sustainable use of natural resources for the p r o t e c t i o n o f t h e environment.

8.Accountability

Accountability is one of the most important characteristics of good governance Good governancedependsonhow accountable Governmental, aswellasprivatesectorsand civil society organizations, are to their people and their institutional stakeholders. Without transparency and t h e r u l e o f l a w, accountability cannot be established.

These characteristics, if practiced by all sitting ministers of a government, will make it difficult for the oppositiontogetthemoutof office.

But is this form of governance being practiced in every territory within the Caribbeanregion?

TheanswerissurelyNO! NO, because we have seen many governments come and go because of failure to a d h e r e t o t h e s e characteristics.

Ontheonehand,during election seasons, many politicians will visit your town or village dressed in angelic garments and, with ochro-slime-laced tongues; promisingyouthemoonand thestarsifsupportisgivento their party Many of those promises will also be boldly written in their manifestos. While driving, they would even stop their vehicles and cajole you to vote for them. But when they get into the office and see you while driving in their posh vehicles,theywillaccelerate and turn their heads in the opposite direction, pretending they did not see you,becausethosepromises werealreadyforgotten.

Also, after being v i c t o r i o u s , s e l faggrandizement is the order oftheday

They intend to fill their pockets before the end of their first term in office. They will be very selective inwhotohelp!Family,close friends, and associates will benefit, as well as the wealthywhohadfinancially supportedtheparty

They are also known for n o t p r o v i d i n g advertisements to those media outlets that were either not in support of their party or were outspoken in theirreportage.

Thosearethepoliticians categorizedasPolitricksters.

Ontheotherhand,there are politicians who work assiduouslyforthebenefitof the people. But they are few innumber Thoughtheymay not practice all the r e c o m m e n d e d characteristics of good governance, most would be adheredto.

H o w e v e r, m a n y Politicians and all Politrickstersseethemselves as lords and masters and the peopleasserfs.Theyalsoact as though they were ordained to be in office. They are the highest paid among those classified as Civil Servants/Public Servants.

A lot of power is vested inthem.Theyareprivileged individuals with numerous benefits. But it is the taxpayer who provides their salary and allowances.They must be constantly reminded, through nonviolent means, that the people’s votes elected them to office. That is the only way a nation will see a government adhering to the eight recommended Characteristics of Good Governance.

Regards, StanCameron