World Bank- IMF Parliamentarians & Development Series by IMF WB Parliamentary Network

The Arab Spring in several countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is a landmark
uprising against totalitarian regimes. While it is true that the recent revolts in Egypt, Libya, Syria,
Tunisia, and Yemen were a starting point for an overhaul of political systems in the region, so far
only Egypt, Tunisia and Libya have managed to free themselves of their old rulers. Even so,
demonstrations continue in Cairo and elsewhere as civilians persist in their calls for democracy.
The Egypt revolution is still ongoing in practice. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF)
has been at the centre of concerns about human rights violations since its accession to power in
February 2011. Nevertheless, in December 2011, the SCAF appeared to withdraw a plan for
extending its influence over the writing of a new constitution. Beforehand, it considered giving the
military a strong presence in the civilian government, and potentially even shielding the military
budget from public or parliamentary scrutiny. The task will be given to a newly elected Parliament
though. Even if the military were to provide guarantees for national unity, protect the secular
character of the state, and protect liberals from an Islamist-based constitution, it is crucial to put the
military under civilian control and scrutiny. On 23 January 2012, the new Parliament will now hold its
first session. But 99% of the new parliamentarians are male, only 1% is female. The composition of
the Parliament clearly demonstrates gender inequality and the failure to implement democracy.
The revolution spread to Libya, Syria, and Yemen, where clashes between civilians and government
forces have led to a dire humanitarian situation on the ground and are posing long-term challenges
for development. By mid-January 2012, numerous protestors and other civilians were killed, and
many other were reported to be in custody or simply missing. The economies of these countries
have virtually collapsed.
In Yemen, demonstrators called for the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Clashes between
protestors and government forces have allegedly led to human rights violations. After months of
protest, Mr. Saleh signed an agreement on November 23, 2011 that immediately transferred power
to his vice president. Presidential elections are set for February 21, 2012. The uncertainty about the
country’s political future combined with rising food prices and shortages of electricity, water and
fuel have left the country in a state of emergency. It is likely that the political crisis will remain acute
due to the tribal culture, topography, high poverty and deeply entrenched government corruption.
Good Governance in the MENA Region
Libya had spent more than 40 years under the leadership of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, who was
captured and killed by rebels in October 2011. The issue of the militia leaders – who want to
preserve their autonomy and protect their respective regions – is currently one of the most urgent
issues facing the new provisional government. In January 2012, the interim government published a
draft law laying out procedures for electing a planned constitutional assembly. Yet, the most delicate
organizational issues – such as districts and the electoral system chosen for the elections - remain
unanswered by the draft law. These issues are particularly difficult due to the spectrum of different
regions and groups. The draft law would allocate 10% of the seats in the assembly to women.
In December 2011, the UN characterized Syria as being on the verge of a civil war. Already in August
2011, the UN released a report on human rights abuses in Syria, considering that Syrian forces
committed “gross violations” of human rights. The U.S. and the EU called for Syria’s president,
Bashar al-Assad, to step down. In late November 2011, the Arab League expelled Syria and imposed
economic sanctions. In December 2011, the EU also imposed sanctions against Syrian finance and
economy ministers and companies. In January 2012, the EU has already agreed to 11 rounds of
sanctions against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad: 120 people and companies are targeted
so far by an assets freeze and travel ban. In addition, the EU is enforcing an arms embargo and a ban
on imports of Syrian crude oil.
The Need for Good Governance
Governance denotes the manner in which the executive of a state and its agencies manage a
country’s economic and social resources. It can be a measure of a government’s effectiveness in
general or in a certain context. With recent and upcoming elections in Egypt, Tunisia, and several
other MENA countries at risk of revolutionary spill-over (for ex. Bahrain, Morocco, and Oman), good
governance will be a key building block for establishing the new regimes. Good governance, in the
form of improved rule of law as well as political stability, has the potential to promote competition
and attract investment, and therefore, creating an environment for sustainable economic growth.
Considering the fragile situation in place in many of the MENA region countries, the primary building
blocks in establishing good governance have to be based on citizen security, justice and the creation
of jobs. This can be achieved through community-based programmes for violence prevention and
ensuring access to local justice services. Paired to this, institutional transformation in the areas of
security and justice is necessary, as well as budget and expenditure transparency to avoid covert and
criminal networks during the transition phase. Illicit financial flows – from public accounts or from
natural resource trafficking – have to be halted. Job creation programmes need a pragmatic
approach that fits local conditions. Private sector regulations have to be simplified to encourage
entrepreneurship. The focus has to be also on establishing infrastructure in the areas of electricity
and transport. Women have to be integrated into the social and economic systems not only through
early-life schooling but also through training programmes later in life.
Especially in fragile states, there is a lack of trust in public institutions, which has to be re-established
through anti-corruption initiatives that demonstrate that new initiatives can be well governed.
Transparent publication of expenditure and community/civil society monitoring to ensure that public
funds and aid reach their intended targets can help install trust and confidence in the country’s
political process.
A Role for Parliamentarians
Parliaments and parliamentarians have a critical role to play in good governance as elected
representatives. Parliamentarians are the 'trustees' of public mandate, given periodically, and the
legitimate expectation is that parliamentarians will uphold the national and public interests. One of
the essential requirements for a stable political environment is to develop a relationship between
parliamentarians and an active civil society. This is indispensible to ensure transparency,
accountability and participation. But the ultimate responsibility is with the parliamentarians to
expose and denounce corruption, educate the public, and to ensure that civil society has the legal
space in which to work effectively.
Numerous reforms will be needed to establish stable and effective regimes in the MENA region.
These will require initiatives to build the capacity of regional actors, to a certain extent with the help of international donors. The Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and International Monetary
Fund (the Parliamentary Network) can serve as a tool for bringing about change by assembling the
relevant stakeholders, through collaboration between parliamentarians, governments, civil society,
and the major international donors. At the local level, the Parliamentary Network can help
empower community leaders, who are able to identify priorities and contribute to the delivery of
development programmes.
https://www.parlnet.org/wp-content/uploads/attachments/Good_Governance_in_MENA_PD_Series_Final.pdf

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