FDRE Prime Minister Ato Hailemariam Dessalegn have recently assembled a 30 men cabinet as anew. As the selection of the cabinet is based on capability, skill and effectiveness as criteria, I don’t think the competence of the people appointed into the cabinet can be put under debate.
In fact as a cabinet that is filled with academics undertakes its job based on knowledge, I think its role in doing a better work than before and in resolving problems that were seen in the country is huge.
So, it is expected that the new cabinet will work as an inspiration to solve the country’s problem. Especially in regards to solving the problems the public raises in relation to good governance, I think the cabinet should work by also moving down to the lower level by serving as a simulators of sorts.
As we hear so much often that solving good governance problem is an issue of long process, and is not a work of a single day. This is correct. As it also demands ironing wrongful attitudes within the society that have come down crumbling down from past regimes, it will take a long time.
Truth be told, trying to bring good governance in one day is fool’s gold. The work to bring good governance should be done in a matured way and in a meticulous long process. On the other hand, we should not sit idly thinking or believing that ‘bringing good governance is long processes.
In order to implement the work to bring good governance, we should be strengthening things that were done previously, and add works that would bring augment the satisfaction within the public. For this, the new cabinet should ready itself from now onward in the effort to solve the problem. Of course the work to bring good governance is a task that directly touches the daily lives of our country’s nation, nationalities and people.
Although wide-ranging works have been done with regards to the implementation and its link with the country’s current realities, the needed level of change has not been achieved. Here, I want it to be known that I am not saying that since nothing has been done in previous times, everything today is left for the new cabinet to solve. This is because, more or less good things have been done in regards to implementing the work for the past 25 years – although they have not been able to bring satisfaction.
During the past 25 years of peace, development and democracy, the FDRE government has carried out many tasks by understanding that good governance administration is part and basis of democracy, and also by targeting building a democratic culture is related to that effort.
As a result, the government has done many things ranging from establishing institutions that could bring transparency and accountability to building the capacity of the executives working at every level.
Nevertheless, as these works are not able to gain the satisfaction and belief of the public, the government did not stop from taking various measures on the executives at every level. In addition to identifying the source and cause of the problem through a study, it has taken many educative measures in a way that involved the public at federal and regional level.
It has also gained some grounds in terms of installing procedures that would change or solve the bottlenecks existing in the implementation of good governance. Through this effort, the government has been able to create a better situation than the past.
Nevertheless, it hasn’t been able to satisfy the public in this regard. And the desire to use government power for personal expedience takes huge role for this disappointment, as the government said. Public appointees and executives at every level have stood as a thorn to good governance administration by nurturing the mentality of looking after personal gains at the expense of serving the public.
In order to stop this mentality and solve the public’s good governance problems, I think the new cabinet should focus on increasing the public’s spirit for public service by raising their belief on the government service delivery institutions, and on making sure the people in the executive organ know that they are public appointee placed there to serve the people.
Of course good governance in any country is thought of in relation to the government in that particular country – more precisely its commitment to carry out the work. Although our country’s developmental and democratic government has the commitment to carry out good governance through process, this commitment of the government is seen getting eroded once it starts to go down to the lower power structures.
By identifying those tricksters, who talk about bringing good governance to the country while being the same ones who are creating the problems in the first place, and taking action against them, the cabinet should satisfy the public. As the issue of good governance is practical and not an abstract theory, special attention should be given to such executives or public officials.
To do this, the public should be made to be directly involved in this. And this allows the public to understand the power that is bestowed upon them by the constitution and understand that they are the monitors/supervisors of any institution that has good governance issues.
By expanding the horizontal chain, I think the new cabinet should setup a framework that would enable it to give quick response to the public's demands. As it is known, there are many grievances that are sent to institutions that are accountable to the house of peoples’ representatives – institutions such as the Ombudsman and Human rights commission. I think the cabinet should be committed to resolve the problems by establishing direct relation with the institutions, and by readying itself to solve problems rather than defend itself.
And as this enables grievances not to snowball within the people and strengthen credibility within the public at the same time, it helps to capture the problems and solve them fundamentally. So, by looking at impartial entities as problem solver, it is imperative to quickly solve the problem that occurs. This is because; the main task of the impartial entities is making sure that the basic rights of the people that are put on the constitution are implemented as per the constitution.
Although these impartial entities carry out their responsibilities by looking many public issues as much as they can, they can do their tasks in an even vigorous manner if the new cabinet assists them in their bidding.
The cabinet should also work hard so that the problems don’t snowball in one place and be a source of grievance. There are sound and complete policies and strategies that centers around the people. The problem lies on implementing them within the public benefit framework. Some problems are manifestations of not implementing the policies and strategies. Instead of giving all their time to the service of the public, many appointees and executives strive for their own personal gain, as the government has said. And the people voted for the ruling party for its policies and strategies – believing on them.
However, the executives want to use the people by getting involved in acts (including corruption) that defy the desire and principle of the ruling party and the government. And this will put them under the all seeing gaze of the pubic, and will serve as a grievance.
So, I say that the new cabinet should make sure every issue are hosted by readily identifiable procedures and in a manner that doesn’t give any opening to obstructions that would hinder such efforts. And this will elevate the current effort of the people and government to solve good governance problems in a lasting manner. So, I say that the new cabinet should carry out its responsibility capably by committedly working on good governance problems. Read more here
No comments:
Post a Comment