Eight characteristics of good governance

Apr 29, 2023 Letters

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Dear Editor,

In a recent conversation on the topic of politics with a group of young people and three elderly women, a young man angrily exclaimed, “Politics is a very dirty profession!” One of the 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, are primarily based 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, directing, and administrating states and other political units”. It defines Politician as “a person who is experienced or skilled in the art or science of politics, government, or administration”. But what about Politrickster? In local parlance, politrickster is defined as ‘a devious or dishonest politician who does not keep his/her promises’. The major role of politicians is to represent the people. When people vote to 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 complex world of governance.”

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

1. Participation
   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 the people in the society. The legal framework represents the rule of law which ensures impartiality in terms of participation in the decision-making process of governance.
2. Rule of Law

Another important characteristic of good governance is the rule of law. 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 force are the key elements to ensure the rule of law.

3. Transparency
   Governance needs transparency for the fair delivery of services to the citizens. It ensures a balance between policymaking and its enforcement following proper rules and regulations. It enables the citizen to access governmental information regarding various policies and their implementation freely.
4. Responsiveness
   Responsiveness can motivate the interrelationships between administration and people. It requires sufficient services to the people within a specific time.
5. Consensus Oriented

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

An equitable, just society must be established for ensuring good governance. Society’s well-being depends on how its members feel about it. It requires all its members to feel that they have a stake in it and they are not excluded from the mainstream in the governance.

7. Effectiveness and Efficiency

Effectiveness and efficiency ensure the outcomes of the institutions to meet the needs of society. 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 protection of the environment.

8. Accountability
   Accountability is one of the most important characteristics of good governance. Good governance depends on how accountable Governmental, as well as private sectors and civil society organizations, are to their people and their institutional stakeholders.  Without transparency and the rule of law, accountability cannot be established.

These characteristics, if practiced by all sitting ministers of a government, will make it difficult for the opposition to get them out of office. But is this form of governance being practiced in every territory within the Caribbean region? The answer is surely NO! NO, because we have seen many governments come and go because of failure to adhere to these characteristics.

On the one hand, during election seasons, many politicians will visit your town or village dressed in angelic garments and, with ochro-slime-laced tongues; promising you the moon and the stars if support is given to 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, they will accelerate and turn their heads in the opposite direction, pretending they did not see you, because those promises were already forgotten.

Also, after being victorious, self-aggrandizement is the order of the day. They intend to fill their pockets before the end of their first term in office. They will be very selective in who to help! Family, close friends, and associates will benefit, as well as the wealthy who had financially supported the party. They are also known for not providing advertisements to those media outlets that were either not in support of their party or were outspoken in their reportage.

Those are the politicians categorized as Politricksters.

On the other hand, there are politicians who work assiduously for the benefit of the people. But they are few in number. Though they may not practice all the recommended characteristics of good governance, most would be adhered to.

However, many Politicians and all Politricksters see themselves as lords and masters and the people as serfs. They also act 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 in them. They are privileged individuals with numerous benefits. But it is the taxpayer who provides their salary and allowances. They must be constantly reminded, through non-violent 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,

Stan Cameron

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• characteristics, governance, profession, Stan Cameron, Women

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