GOOD GOVERNANCE THE WAY FORWARD - jurisafrica.org.docVIP

GOOD GOVERNANCE: THE WAY FORWARD Francis M. SSEKANDI* ”Getting politics right is different from getting policy right in that it calls for a restructuring of the polity itself.1 Introduction Good Governance has been variously defined, often to suit different purposes. In the African Development Banks Good Governance Policy, adopted by the Board in December 1999, Good Governance is defined as a process referring to the manner in which power is exercised in the management of the affairs of a nation, and its relations with other nations. In other literature, Good Governance has been defined as the traditions and institutions by which authority in a country is exercised for the common good.2 To define Good Governance in terms of a process or the instruments for exercise of authority is pragmatic but needs some qualification in order to be useful. I would prefer here to add that the use of the power or authority given must be legitimate and must be used to manage the countries resources for social and economic development. I would thus define Good Governance as the legitimate use of political authority in the exercise of control over a society and management of its resources for social and economic development of its people. It is my view that stable political conditions can be achieved through well directed institutional reforms: reforms which ensure the respect of human rights, instill a respect for the rule of law and promote political inclusion and tolerance of diversity. Such reforms require a reassessment of existing administrative and legal structures, mostly inherited at independence from the former colonial masters, and replacing them with institutions built on best practices of our traditions and more attuned to the needs and aspirations of the majority of the population. Africa and Good Governance The urgency for reform of the political structures to instill good governance in Africa cannot be underestimated because the number of countries in conflict si