Who hinders reforms? [Archives:2007/1062/Opinion]
Dr. Abdullah Awbal
We would like to be very frank in presenting the factors behind our backwardness, as well as the causes of our failure to build the state of strong institutions and make available the kind of development that helps rescue citizens from cowardliness and timidity. The situation doesn't allow me to express the reality of continued confusion between the state's project and the historic inheritance that enhances the traditional infrastructure during the project implementation.
The matter is not a new discovery, but for us, the political and social thinking claims an inauthentic reality. Why? There is nobody to claim the non-existence or the absence of tribal traditions from the social map. We are required to put a stop to the influence of tribal traditions on the government institutions and remove it from being exercised elsewhere.
Such tribal traditions appear futile while those who remain adherent to these traditions have lost their role in the historic perspective in light of requirements of the contemporary state, which is based on the institutional system and status of the law and equal citizenship. It is impossible for any community to establish a regime under an ideological and religious cover having strong faith in tribal traditions and their influence.
The most complicated matter is that the social forces that adopt the state's project are distributed among various political and social organizations, as well as the other regional, ethnical and tribal entities. Some people don't take into consideration the number of civil community organizations while overlapping of the political environment components is reflected in the political structure. This leads to formulate a hypothesis reading that “Reaching a real political action necessitates resorting out all the social components and entities via useful programs addressing clear and specific interests.”
Frankly speaking, we attempt via this analysis to interpret the phenomenon of the statements, which are frequently and repeatedly made by the President of the Republic before and after elections. Also, a great portion of our effort is devoted to explaining the lack of enthusiasm on the part of institutions to carry out the announced reforms. We should ask who stands behind delaying the direct election of governors and district directors like the local council members.
Mr. President ordered suspending any direct elections of executive officials and asked legal experts to make the necessary amendments in two months from the most recent presidential and local council elections. Now, we have entered the ninth month since the president made these statements. Who did hinder formation of the Anti-Corruption Authority, however, a series of steps have been taken with the aim of making up the authority. Numerous questions of this kind arise.
The officials who are holding key government positions fear any comprehensive administrative and financial reforms because they are bound to lose certain gaps via which they earn money illegally in case any corruption laws are reinforced. For the government to make its policies successful, there should be a nationwide referendum on the components of reform, and after a short while, we will see who backs reforms and who opposes them.
Source: Al-Tagamu Weekly
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