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BOOK REVIEW |
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BOOK REVIEW |
On Governing Well Three authors approach good
governance and decentralization from a new perspective By KESHAB POUDEL Good governance and decentralization are one of the most passionately debated issues in contemporary Nepalese society. In many ways, they seem to have acquired the status of mantras for development. At a time when the country is in the midst of an extensive debate on how to effectively manage its resources and run local institutions in accordance with the aspirations of the people, a new book discusses various facets of the concept of decentralization and good governance. "Rational allocation of decision-making is central not only to the efficient operation of a democratic polity but also to prevent an overburden of the decision-making load on a particular level of governance to its breakpoint and disintegration," Dev Raj Dahal, Hari Uprety and Phanindra Subba write in "Good Governance and Decentralization In Nepal". The book, which is divided in two parts - good governance and decentralization - discusses the concept of good governance, role of state, market, resource allocation, civil society and public space, building national integrity system and good governance and decentralization inter linkages. In the decentralization segment, the book attempts to discuss globalization versus localization, local-central government relationship, decentralization, Nepalese political economy, donors' cooperation in decentralization and good governance, among other things. Although many books have been published in the area of good governance and decentralization in recent years, this is the first time three scholars have made an intensive effort to highlight their development and democratic dimensions. One of the objectives of the publication is to underscore the links between democracy and decentralization and argue for vigorous decentralization measures from the government's side and, at the same time, local initiatives to sustain them. Besides dealing with the theoretical perspectives on decentralization, the authors also attempt to analyze the historical context of decentralization in Nepal and its implementation in the grass-roots level. As the country's policy-makers are so concerned about the centralization of authority, Nepal has not faced any genuine effort toward decentralization. Dahal, Uprety and Subba argue how decentralization and good governance are linked with each other in terms of community building, leadership development, social mobilization, conflict resolution and economic, political and social development. "After the restoration of multiparty democracy, people have been demanding more information control, greater accountability, responsiveness and ownership in the governance and development processes. The weaknesses and inefficiency of the centralized political and administrative superstructure that have come in the way of improving the quality of life of the majority of people are indeed a barrier of effective democracy," the authors say. They attempt to compare the provisions of the existing constitution and stress the need for greater participation of the people in the political process. They also discuss the existing acts on local self-government and other issues and talk about the challenges and problems in the implementation of decentralization policies and their implications. Openness, fairness and predictability in the decision making are important process of good governance and decentralization, but there is a lack of fairness and openness in the implementation and execution of the policy.
From conflict management to fulfilling the aspirations of the people at the grass roots, decentralization is vital in a country like Nepal. Smaller the government, better the management. In this context, decentralization and good governance are very much interlinked. Dahal, Uprety and Subba highlight various aspects of good governance in the context of decentralization. The basic concepts and theme discussed in the book are highly academic and in-depth. The book, among others, discusses the present structures of Village Development Committees, District Development Committees and their capability to exercise their limited power. Good Governance and
Decentralization In Nepal |
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editor: spotligh@mos.com.np |
