By IANS
New Delhi : Elections alone cannot indicate a government’s accountability and they mean nothing to conflict-hit countries like Pakistan minus deep and far reaching structural reforms, says a global report.
Global Integrity, which tracks governance around the world, said that despite global acclaim for their elections, countries like Ukraine and Georgia are still bogged down by deep-rooted corruption scandals.
“In Pakistan, the furore surrounding whether and when to hold elections in the wake of the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto glosses over the reality that without deep and far-reaching structural reforms, elections, regardless of their outcome, will mean little to the country’s chances for a transparent and accountable government,” the report says.
The West, in particular the US, is pressing Pakistan to hold free and fair elections, which are scheduled for Feb 18.
According to Global Integrity, besides regular elections, other crucial safeguards like free media, vibrant civil society, multiple institutional checks and balances and key internal anti-corruption mechanisms must be in place to ensure a government’s accountability.
It says categorically: “Although elections are seemingly the linchpin of Western governance reform efforts around the world, there is little evidence to suggest they are strongly related to improved government accountability.”
The report, which ranked India at the 11th position in a global integrity index for 2007, however, expresses concern over the sustainability of China’s economic boom and its reliability.
“As China continues to attract massive inflows of foreign capital, the question for investors is how long they can continue to operate efficiently in a market where political connections and party patronage play such a prominent role in controlling the key anti-corruption mechanisms including the judiciary.”
The agency praised the improved situation in Nepal, which had faced political unrest before democracy was reinstated.
“Despite the massive governance challenges that remain, the country has begun to stabilize following a tumultuous 2006 and could be on an upward trajectory with regard to promoting effective anti-corruption efforts in the long run.”
Pointing out that the free media and civil society organisation play crucial role in curbing corruption in post-conflict countries where government institutions were weak, the agency warns that the restrictions on the broadcast media would have adverse impact on the governance.
It notes that restrictions on the broadcast media in developing countries, where illiteracy is high and print publications are too expensive for the rural mass, have a “decidedly negative impact on the overall governance climate” and can be “abused as tools for political manipulation”.
While India is ranked at the 11th position 2007 among 55 countries in the global integrity index, Pakistan finds itself at the 21st spot with a “weak” rating in the index. Bulgaria and the US lead the list with 87 points. Lebanon is at the last spot.