Delivering the promise

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Good governance produces good citizenship. All elected Governments should have as an overriding principle, the assurance and/or the promise to all of its citizens to provide good governance and a results-based approach to governing which includes:

1. Social responsibility, democratic openness, the rule of law and respect for the environment. Failure to accommodate such expectations should have drastic consequences.

2. Creation of opportunities for employment. Governments should enact policy and legislative changes that facilitate the emergence of new businesses and the growth of existing business so they can create wealth and opportunity.

3. Establishing a system of justice where everyone is treated fairly.

4. Creating an educational system that adequately prepares young people for the new challenges that they will face. Education opens not only social and economic doors but also opportunities to be of service to our fellow man.

5. Recognising that freedom of speech, human rights, the rule of law and transparency are at the root of democracy.

All elected Governments are leaders of their respective countries. It is vitally important that Governments build trust between the people they lead and themselves. There is a universal code of good leadership that has a mix of resolve, empathy, education and inspiration that generates confidence, trust and admiration.

Leadership is not status, prestige, privilege or money. It is responsibility and accountability.

To deliver the promise of good governance the elected Government and/or leaders must transcend ideology, personal prejudices, egos and vested individual interest. The rhetoric of commitment to good governance must match reality. That is the only way that an electoral government or leader will have a level of integrity and believability.

This is a historic moment because the generation of elected officials has not faced today’s challenges in their lifetime. As a consequence electoral Governments need foresight, vision, transparency and humility. These problems are new and complex; hence it is necessary for elected Governments to ask for advice, to collaborate or to widely consult with members of their respective communities and other communities. This is not a sign of weakness or lack of know-how but recognition that solutions to these problems are often elusive and beyond the elected Governments and their officials’ expertise and experience.

After all, the central purpose of electoral Governments is to serve the greater good. They should legally do all in their power to achieve this fundamental purpose and live up to the promise of good governance.

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