Editorial – August 7, 2015 :
There is this feeling of emboldeness, noting the number of times Her Excellency Elizabeth Carriere in her acceptance and response speech spoke to Good Governance, repeatedly at her swearing-in ceremony in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, August 5.
Last week we featured ‘Good Governance’ in the Editorial and noted that this had appeared in several Editorials and articles during 2013. We had concluded that there was serious shortness in the observance of this in our administration accounting for the lack of progress in just about anything Montserrat claims interest. On many counts and fronts it is an area that Governor Davis has failed us. We plan to deal with these for the benefit of a country that continues to lose its way, of course, if there ever was one.
The experts are quick to say, and clearly in Montserrat it is especially so, especially that our language cannot be: “Towards Improved Governance.”
“Good governance is an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality. Governance typically involves well-intentioned people who bring their ideas, experiences, preferences and other human strengths and shortcomings to the policy-making table. Good governance is achieved through an on-going discourse that attempts to capture all of the considerations involved in assuring that stakeholder interests are addressed and reflected in policy initiatives.”
Looking at this, when one remembers the rhetoric of politicians and leaders; don’t they always say they are well-intentioned, always laden with ideas? Can it be they come with no experiences and no human strengths, but far too many shortcomings to the policy-making table? If we sum this up even half right, do they not have any soul of decency to step back and assess, or listen to those willing to offer the assessment? Do they really have to be the discouraging and dirty description given to politicians?
The problem is that when you add public servants and others who are easily gravitated to badness and even wickedness, who suffers?
Good Governance is one of the tenets of both the Partnership established in the 1999 and 2012 UK White Papers involving their British Overseas Territories.
Under one heading in the White Paper (2012) is Strengthening Good Governance, Public Financial Management and Economic Planning. Under this it says, “The UK and the Territories will continue their partnership to meet the high standards set out in this White Paper. The UK will provide support to the Territories, where necessary, to develop good governance, robust public financial management and sound economic planning.” And:
“DFID provides budget aid to some Territories to fund essential public services that cannot be funded from local resources and provides technical assistance to support improvements in the quality of public services, good governance and opportunities to pursue economic growth and financial independence.”
We note two simple things, that the Partnership is not new in the 2012 Paper, it is continued from 1999. Secondly it is tied to everything financial.
So we make two observations. We have been making this reference to the ‘partnership’ repeatedly, we note no one ever takes it up; there is a serious ignorance about anything mentioned in ‘White Papers”. The former Governor might have mentioned its existence, but he had no problem that Montserrat did not participate in the discussions leading up to this last White Paper.
Probably aware of this omission we describe, Miss Carriere at her final mention of Good Governance says: “I am a firm believer that there is no substitute for good governance; when things get off track, I will be prepared to take action in my role as Governor.”
She promises: “I will work with the Government of Montserrat to support its plans to realise a safe, sustainable and prosperous Montserrat built on good governance…”
Just words? We will see. Good music to our ears, but because the task begins with the ignorant she can be assured there are allies out here.
