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B Shadrach
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As the e-Governance evangelists proclaim that the ultimate goal of ICT enabled governance is to enhance the quality of life for each and every citizen, the rich and the poor alike, the four major challenges facing South Asia are: a) systemic corruption; b) lack of willpower to strengthen the national integrity systems; c) slow move towards decentralisation; and, d) the enormous gap between the governed and those who govern.
Transparency International (TI)s corruption perception index has rated 80 other countries better than the South Asian ones, thanks to Sri Lanka which occupies the 81st position while Bangladesh remains as one of the top-most corrupt countries, only next to Chad. How can the great traditions that boast the best practice ranging from self- governance to renaissance now redeem themselves from the greatest evil of the society that undermines the eradication of poverty which is rampant in the region, a home for more than half of worlds poor?
As the term good governance failed mainly due to the fact that it was seen as a stick the industrialised nations used to beat the developing ones, what has been invented in the sub-continent, therefore, is the idea of participatory governance, which now has a fillip through technological support. Participatory governance allows for peoples participation in shaping and strengthening the systems of national integrity through greater public awareness nurtured by the societal values. No one today can deny the fact that ICTs can be instrumental in laying down strong foundations of peoples participation in governance and uphold the pillars of national integrity system. Recent examples emerging from the region talks of e-voting that demonstrates the power of fair elections; e-grievances that allows the power to question senior officials through open web sites; e-vigilance that supports the auditor generals office to report malpractices in public; e-ombudsman to archive all records on a public domain for easy access; e-judiciary where all judicial decisions that have larger public interest can be shared; and, an ICT empowered civil society for practicing right to information and freedom of speech. The above measures would not only make corruption a high risk and low return undertaking, but also reduce the gap between the governed and those who govern, thus enabling greater participation of people in decision taking processes.
What is inevitable as we speak today is an informed society that is vigilant, and has the capacity to enforce horizontal accountability. Although it is difficult to eradicate a practice that is recorded in about 150 cuneiform inscriptions of 13th century BC, it is not impossible through the new media. Perhaps, when H G Wells created a gripping masterpiece in the Invisible Man in 1897, I am sure he least realised that no one can discover the key to invisibility. After all, a century later, the information and communication technology tools can make every action of any person transparent, both the governed and that of those that govern; the corrupt as well as those that bribe.
B. Shadrach
Editor-in-chief
Basheerhamad.shadrach@oneworld.net
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