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Socialisation of Governance Pakistan’s Experience in Local Government System

Socialisation of Governance Pakistan’s Experience in Local Government System . Sarwar Bari Pattan Development Organisation 14 December 2009, Islamabad. Governance?. Consists of informed actions and omissions of a government.

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Socialisation of Governance Pakistan’s Experience in Local Government System

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  1. Socialisation of Governance Pakistan’s Experience in Local Government System Sarwar Bari Pattan Development Organisation 14 December 2009, Islamabad PATTAN

  2. Governance? • Consists of informed actions and omissions of a government. • Government is expected to be aware of diverse needs and aspirations of various sections of the public and thus must • legislate, plan, generate and allocate resources equitably to social groups, regions and sectors. • This must be a minimal expectation of a government. Less than this may be anything, but not a governance. PATTAN s

  3. Governance (continues) • Elite, bureaucracies and technical experts can’t provide governance alone, as very often they are unaware of diverse realities and priorities of men and women of various social groups and areas. • Therefore, men and women of diverse backgrounds must be encouraged to participate in governance: from legislation to planning and from implementation to auditing. • The local government is thus the most appropriate tier to socialise governance at the optimum level, as most elected officials reside with their electorates and face similar problems/issues.. PATTAN

  4. Socialisation? • Is a learningprocess that enables one to interact and to engage with others in formal and informal settings. • Informal: home, relatives, friends, clan, biradri, community etc. • Formal: public and work places, market, social/ political institutions and government structures etc. PATTAN

  5. ‘Forbidden Gardens’ • Politics:elitist, dynastic, non-democratic, hierarchically sycophantic, corrupt and hence remote and socially alienated. • Governanceis just a mirror image of the politics. PATTAN

  6. Local Government System 2001-09 Beginning of socialisation of politics and governance • General public: 83% welcomed quota for women and marginalised social classes and minorities etc.* • NGOs: A way forward to accomplish their mandates • UN and donor agencies: Opportunity to improve governance in Pakistan • Political parties: initially rejected but participated in elections PATTAN

  7. Participatory Instruments inLocal Government System 2001-09 • Local councils: 6,635 • Union councils: 6,132 • Seats: 2001: 126,462 2005: 79,703 • Seat-contesting candidate ratio: 2001: 2 2005:2.8 • Total reserved seats: 2001: 66,595 2005: 43,018 • Women seats: 2001: 36,964 2005: 28,582 • Voters’ turnout: 2001: 52.31% 2002:41.67%. 2005: 47.50 2008: 43.7%. Complied from Election Commission and NRB Data

  8. Participatory Instruments inLocal Government System 2001-09 • Citizen Community Boards: 43,000. Membership 1,075,000 • Village/neighbourhood Councils: 9.700. • Musalhati Anjumans • Monitoring Committees • Public Safety Commissions • External recall of nazims Compiled from DTCE Reports

  9. Performance: Attendance & ParticipationNumber of UC sessions attended *PATTAN (2004), Performance Assessment of Women Councillors

  10. Performance (continues)Interaction with constituents Number of persons contact women councilors in a month* *PATTAN (2004), Performance Assessment of Women Councillors

  11. Performance & Impact • Mobilised host families, placed and supported Internally Displaced Persons 2009. • Supported battered women • Launched campaign against Hudood Ordinances • Empowered women • Launched campaigns against extremism and terrorism • Provided new activists and supported political parties and candidates in elections PATTAN

  12. Local Government System A Two Edge Sword • Top tier: complete elite capture • Lower tier: power was socialised and fragmented Therefore has a potential To help grow social movements and their horizontal and vertical networkings, And this may lead to challenge the elite control PATTAN

  13. Local Government SystemMyth of Relationship • Civilian Governments: Abhor local elected governments????? • Military Regimes: Promote and strengthen local elected councils??? PATTAN

  14. Public Perception on Continuation of 2001 Local Government System* Source: FAFEN Public Perception Survey 2009

  15. Public opinion on quota, DCOs’ powers and mode of election* Source: FAFEN Public Perception Survey 2009

  16. Which level of government is easily accessible? ACNiesen and The Urban Institute: Districts That Work Project 2008 That

  17. Recommendations • Announce schedule of local council election now • Abolish all indirect lections in local councils • Make ECP to hold the local councils’ elections • Political parties fulfil promises made in election manifestoes • PPP and PMLN urged to r Article 10 of COD ‘Local bodies election will be held on party basis through provincial election commissions in respective provinces and constitutional protection will be given to the local bodies to make them autonomous and answerable to their respective assemblies as well as to the people through regular courts of law.’ PATTAN

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