Archives

by Lynn Ockersz

Crime, corruption and peace - three major concerns of South Asia, whose interlinked nature is being increasingly recognized, made headline news in three of Sri Lanka's neighbouring states; namely, Bangladesh, India and Nepal.

While Bangladesh, like Sri Lanka, announced a major crackdown on crime, which has been steeply on the rise in a number of South Asian states, reports from India indicated that the Indian Cabinet has approved legislation aimed at curbing corruption at the highest levels of government-including the Prime Minister.

Almost around the same time the leader of Nepal's "Maoist" insurgency, Pushpa Kamal Dahal was quoted as calling on the country's mainstream political parties to help arrange a new round of peace talks between the Nepalese government and the rebel group, threatening mass protests if such negotiations are not held in the near future. He alleged that there was a "serious conspiracy from within and outside the country to derail the peace talks." Since a ceasefire which was reached with the government in January this year, two rounds of talks have been held between the two sides. Chief among the demands of the "Maoist, People's Liberation Army" is that a special assembly be installed to rewrite the Nepalese constitution and that the Royal Nepalese Army be merged with the fighting cadres of the rebel group.

While Nepal illustrates most graphically the abiding link between political violence, internal discord and poverty, Sri Lanka at present, displays the close relation between gradual economic betterment and efforts to end internal conflicts by political means. We have, for instance, just seen how the prospect of reviving the Lankan peace effort has had a favourable impact on the country's investment climate. However, as in Nepal, poverty remains one of Lanka's principal worries, along with a decline in law and order and anxiety over growing corruption. There is also a looming threat of political instability. Some of these conditions Lanka shares with other South Asian states, although governmental stability could be said to be strongest in India at present.

A redeeming feature of today's South Asian political scene, however, is the persistence of democratic institutions in most of these states. It must be noted, moreover, that the political violence which has assumed prominent proportions in the majority of these states points essentially to structural weaknesses in these democracies. For instance, it could be seen that a relative lack of political consultation and compromise among government and opposition in states such as Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, on crucial issues, leads to political uncertainty and strife. The fostering of profound political polarities by the internal system, prevents the easy promotion of collaboration among political adversaries in these countries.

Besides, the inability of these systems to substantially promote political accommodation, compromise and transparent governance has enabled political contention, strife and violence to remain deeply entrenched in these states. These conditions in turn breed law and order problems and corruption.

The more transparent, flexible and accommodationist a political system, the greater would be its ability to promote corruption-free, cooperative, and participatory governance. Further democratization of the State, therefore, emerges as a prime challenge for South Asia.

www.crescat.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries

Produced by Lake House
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager