Maravi

Devolution of power will enhance rule of law, says Habasonda

Devolution of power will enhance rule of law, says Habasonda
By Roy Habaalu
Mon 08 Oct. 2012, 14:00 CAT

LEE Habasonda says the ruling party's policy to devolve power will enhance the rule of law and promote good governance.

In an interview, Habasonda, a governance expert and former executive director of the Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (Saccord), said devolution of power would allow people to decide on what was important for them.

He said people would have a sense of ownership once they agreed on something and would guard against their decisions.

"As opposed to the central governance type of deciding for people, with devolution people feel part of every decision and are closer to decision making. When they make a decision it means they own the process and therefore take keen interest in a particular project.

"There would be no imposition on the people from outside forces because people would have agreed on how to protect it and in that sense the government would be reducing poverty because people would priotise their own situations and resolve them," Habasonda said.

He further said the government should begin to implement the process of decentralisation in accordance with its manifesto and that decentralization would create jobs and reduce unemployment and local tensions.

Habasonda said this would show how new districts will operate in the new budget.

"Government should create a delimitation commission that will plan on how new districts and province will be accommodated in the next budget and show a long term blue print as informed by the delimitation commission," said Habasonda.

Labels: DECENTRALISATION, LEE HABASONDA

posted by MrK @ 3:09 PM