How does local governance with broad powers work? [Archives:2008/1145/Opinion]
By: Abdurrahman Saif Ismail
Local governance with broad powers is a system having all the components needed for building a modern Yemeni state free of individualism, temperament, randomness and impoverishment. Comprehensive reform can not be achieved except through involving the whole community, plus the strong and effective institutions, expanding the base of popular participation and demonstrating further democratic practices. Democratic education can make intervention in assigning courses and changing directions possible.
Within the frame of local governance with broad powers, the local authority will be more able to meet requirements of the comprehensive economic and social development, achieve goals related with financial and administrative reforms and reform any infringements and flaws in the standing administrative systems. This system (local governance with broad powers) will be able to draw people's will and attention toward comprehensive change and innovation, notably as this system is considered to reflect people's wills and trends.
In order to move to an advanced phase of local governance experience, the relevant agencies in the government should review the standing laws and legislations, and therefore amend them in favor of this move. These agencies are also needed to generate real dialogue with all the development partners and pave the way toward the democratic and institutional progress, as well as pay close attention toward rehabilitating and building the local community capacities so that this community can make a distinctive leap in fighting corruption. Consequently, this may make a change in the community's lifestyle, develop skills of the administrative leaders, build their capacities and select them from among the eligible individuals, the selection of whom is not based on influence or power, but on the force of law and effective institutions.
The move toward local governance with broad powers is due to help local communities become more able to make change and reform the dire situation in the country because they have numerous references in this regard. These references stand for the common culture of the local communities, which in turn represents moves of the state, and the various national institutions and political organizations that constitute culture of the community in general.
The state's Ministry of Local Administration demonstrates further expertise and competence and has accumulative historical experience in this respect. Moreover, the ministry posses clear strategic visions for making change and updating its tools of construction in a way coping with the new stage and helping develop the administrative experience. Amid the new moves, it is unacceptable or illogical for the competent administrative staff to be marginalized or replaced by new faces that may need years or decades of training in order to gain the same experiences and skills required for the administrative work.
Source: Al-Thawra State-run Daily
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