By Gabriel Tabarani
Since
February 2011, following the uprising in Tunisia, the populations of many
countries in the Middle East and North Africa have successively made the
headlines by taking part in revolts and popular demonstrations against their
corrupt ruling regimes.
To
a careful observer, there is no doubt that a common scenario has been repeated
in each of these countries. During their time in power, the leaders of these
states attracted and gathered around them a circle of privileged individuals or
groups to which they delegated important powers, and their associated
trappings. In return, these leaders demanded their protégés’ blind submission,
creating a quasi-dictatorial regime and the necessary internal security
structures to ensure unwavering support.
These
privileged few, in turn, exercised strict control over the population to keep
the masses in ignorance and to prevent protest. Fearing for their privileges,
they fought a constant battle against transparency and direct citizen participation
in governance. This, with the aim of hiding what was going on behind the
government’s closed doors.
The
Tunisian and Egyptian masses have finally rid themselves of their
"tyrants." However, serious doubts remain about the possibility of a
definitive purification of local government and the departure of former
entourages from power.
In
some countries, the revolution has already begun, with varying chances of
success. In other countries, negotiations are underway between the rulers and
the ruled to institute some mitigating reforms. In all countries, the following
questions will be asked of those who manage to take power from, or to share
power with, leaders currently in place.
1.
What system should be used to ensure the fair distribution of state resources
through the entire population going forwards?
2.
Should the administrations and experts who had been set up by the
"tyrants" be replaced; and how should this be carried out?
3.
How to ensure that the management of the state will be rational, efficient and
above all fair, and that it will ensure sustainable development in the country?
In
fact, as mentioned by a Tunisian professor at a conference on this subject a
couple of weeks ago, the young revolutionaries in Tunisia need (to begin
with)to deal with the same players who held centre stage during the successive
terms of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. It is logistically impossible to replace at
short notice, technicians, experts, officials and political professionals who
have to their credit many years of experience in their respective fields.
To
prevent the fruits of the revolution from be monopolized again and diverted to
a new ruling clique that merely displaces its predecessors, it would require
that in each country revolutionary committees be formed to establish new
priorities that are fairer for all. I refer in particular to the case of Libya
which is currently experiencing the darkest period in its history.
This
would include the creation of a new development plan from which a new system of
governance, with the necessary checks and balances would be introduced and
applied. Citizens should reserve the right to monitor their governments to
ensure that all the objectives of the revolution are achieved. For this
purpose, it would be important to make use of three key elements: transparency,
planning and participation.
Transparency
is a term that is easily understood, though its implementation has generally
proved to be "mission impossible" to date in the Middle East and
North African countries.
Planning
is essential to developing a program tailored to each nation’s particular
circumstances as so to develop and sustain its economy while ensuring the
welfare of its people.
Participation;
it implies the association of the people in the governance of the country. The
success of such an enterprise is essential to prevent a return of the old
tyrants or the emergence of new dictators. This participation should enable the
people to join in the creation of plans, determination of national objectives
and in monitoring the implementation of reforms envisaged in these plans.
This commentary was published on TheSop.org in USA, in Arabs Today
in UK and on Middle East Spectator blog www.mespectator.blospot.com on
29/05/2011
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