Participatory Democracy and Caribbean Governance

“It surely must be the mission of this generation to make consensus building the foundation of a new form of Governance; to make popular and effective participation and inclusion the key facets of our political culture;…”(Owen Arthur). Using at least one case study, critically evaluate this statement in the context of the Commonwealth Caribbean realities in the thrust towards obtaining a governance system of participatory democracy. 4/22/2015

Courtney Peters

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Contents

Abstract ...................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction ................................................................................................................ 3

Background and Historiography ................................................................................ 4

Literature Review ....................................................................................................... 7

Discussion and Analysis ..........................................................................................13

Conclusion ...............................................................................................................18

Bibliography .............................................................................................................19

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Abstract

This paper seeks to analyze the statement posited by Owen Arthur that: “It surely must be the

mission of this generation to make consensus building the foundation of a new form of

Governance; to make popular and effective participation and inclusion the key facets of our

political culture;…” and apply it to the Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago primarily. An

evolutionary analysis of participatory democracy within Trinidad and Tobago, and its

significance to good governance would be done. The definition of good governance and its main

tenets as put forward by various authors could also be found in the body of this paper. Good

governance with a focus on consensus building, popular and effective participation and inclusion

within Trinidad and Tobago would be analyzed with a focus on how it is applied.

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Introduction

The aim of this paper is to draw attention to the governance of Trinidad and Tobago with a min

focus on consensus building and participatory democracy. Governance and specifically good

governance is being used today with a higher degree of importance in literature throughout the

world. The fact that good governance is at times seen as going hand in hand with development,

with many international organizations looking at the level of governance within a country to

know how they would invest, has encouraged many governmental leaders to put emphasis on

practices, policies and procedures that foster good governance.

Data was collected using mainly secondary sources of data, with most of this data coming from

eBooks and online journals and articles. The first part of the paper is the background and

historiography showing the evolution of good governance and participatory democracy within

Trinidad and Tobago. The next part would be the literature review. This would examine the key

terms and attributes of good governance. Following this a discussion would be done focusing on

participatory democracy in contemporary Trinidad and Tobago while analyzing the way forward

for the concept. A conclusion making note of the main points within the body of the paper would

be done. Finally the bibliography listing all the sited sources will culminate the entire paper.

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Background and Historiography

While participatory democracy as a term stands alone, it stems from the entire notion of

governance, specifically good governance. Therefore it would be wise to firstly understand what

governance is and where the whole notion of participatory democracy and consensus building

falls into it before it is applied to any one Caribbean nation. Governance as a concept may have

existed for a long time, but it became particularly popular as a theory when in the 1970s it was

beginning to be used in public administration literature and subsequently by students of

international relations and comparative politics.1 The first recorded use of the term “governance”

could be attributed to Harlan Cleveland in the early 1970s. His assumption in his writing was

that people were less interested in government and more in governance.

Governance as defined by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is;

“The exercise of political, economic and administrative authority in the management of a

country's affairs at all levels. It comprises the mechanisms, processes and institutions,

through which citizens and groups articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights,

meet their obligations and mediate their differences.”2

It thus includes the formal and informal actors involved in decision making. Good governance,

considered being the positive aspect of governance, and the banner under which many countries

aspire to operate under, is synonymous with 8 core tenets. These core tenets present good

governance as being participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive,

effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and it follows the rule of law.

1 Hydén 2011, 6.

2 UN Habitat

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Participatory democracy as a tenet of good governance involves involvement of men and women

either directly or indirectly, through legitimate institutions or elected or selected representatives

in the decision making process within a country. Because participation involves the participation

of so many different interest groups, there must some type of consensus between the different

groups within the society. What this would mean is that there must be mediation between the

different interest groups to reach a broad consensus that would benefit the majority. This would

also mean that even with a representative democracy it does not necessarily mean that the most

vulnerable in society would be taken into consideration.

Good governance and by extension participatory democracy within Trinidad and Tobago has had

an arduous history. Pre-independence Trinidad and Tobago was a colony of the British Empire

after a number of wars and switching of hands. This meant that they were subject to British rule

and governance. There was little to no participation of citizens of the country in the decision

making framework of the country. The leaders were selected by the “crown” rather than elected

by the citizenry. This meant that decisions were made by foreign officials and then implemented

by the selected leaders. Local government was key in allowing the citizens some form of

participation. In Trinidad 1945 County Councils were established so that the entire country fell

under some form of local government. Critical in all of this was that all local government

authorities had elected councils, whereby the burgesses elected their representatives and

indirectly had a say in the governance of the localities.3

Coming into the 1962 and Independence in the country, a higher degree of representation was

experienced through a representative democracy. This meant that the leaders at the highest level

3 Ragoonath 2009, 32.

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of government and in effect the main decision makers were elected by the citizenry. The

citizenry thus participated through their vote in general elections.

As the political culture changed in Trinidad and Tobago, citizens and politicians saw the

importance and need for the input of the wider population in the decision making processes. The

notion of “Good Governance” which has made its way onto the world stage called for the

adaptation of participatory democracy. A higher degree of participation by the citizens was

therefore expected. The big question was then what was the way forward for increasing citizen

participation.

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Literature Review

Good governance is about the processes involved in making and implementing decisions. It’s not

about making ‘correct’ decisions per se, but about the best possible process for making those

decisions. The best possible processes for making those decisions are as previously noted the

core 8 tenets of good governance. These eight indicators as put forward by the UN present good

governance as being participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive,

effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and it follows the rule of law.

Accountability as a key tenet of good governance holds that public as well as private institutions

should be responsible and answerable to key stakeholders of their organization. These stake

holders may vary, but the citizenry is an absolute stakeholder of any public institution. This thus

makes any public institution accountable to the citizenry of the country. Johnston in his paper

classified accountability in these terms as it relates to good governance;

“Accountability is partly a matter of institutional design: formal checks and balances can

and should be built into any constitutional architecture. But accountability requires

political energy too: people, interest groups, civil society, the courts, the press, and

opposition parties must insist that those who govern follow legitimate mandates and

explain their actions.”4

Accountability thus requires the input of many facets within society. Their input and

participation in holding the government and public enterprise accountable for their actions is

cruciall in the governance of any country. As one writer notes; “Governance without

accountability is tyranny. Few principles are as central to democracy as this.”5

4 Johnston

5 Borowski 2011, 3

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Transparency is yet another key aspect of good governance within any country. It aids in holding

governments to account thus working hand in hand with accountability to ensure good

governance. Organizations that operate in a transparent manner usually see decisions being

enforced in a manner that follows rules and regulations. Information is also dispensed in a

manner that is understandable and in a form of media that easy to follow. Stefanick posits that

“transparency helps to expose corruption, ensures due process in law, and encourages the citizen

engagement that is central to citizen participation.”6 This statement certainly shows the link

between transparency and citizen involvement in governance. The citizens do have a role in the

governance of a country in any democracy.

Good governance is applicably responsive when institutions and process are geared toward

serving all stakeholders in a reasonable timeframe. Timeliness in carrying out the duties that

have been given to representative is therefore crucial.

Good governance is also effective and efficient. It thus means that processes and institutions

produce results that meet the needs of society while making the best use of resources at the

society’s disposal. In the realm of good governance efficiency also deals with natural resources

and the ample preservation of such resources.

Equity and inclusiveness is yet another tenet of good governance. According to Mercycorps’

Guide to Good Governance Programming;

“A society’s wellbeing depends on ensuring that all its members feel that they have a

stake in it, do not feel excluded from the mainstream, and therefore want to participate.

6 Stefanick 2013, 1

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This requires that all groups, but particularly the most vulnerable, have opportunities to

improve or maintain their well-being.”7

Again the whole notion of citizenry participation and the important role of the citizen in the

decision making process within a country. The idea that the most vulnerable I society should be a

part of the decision making process, should have some form of input, is also highlighted within

this statement. Equity differs from equality in the sense that treating everyone the same way

might in fact construct barrios again imposing unwarranted pressure on the vulnerable in society.

Instead equity examines policies, principles and practices that ensure fairness and broad

ownership.8

The rule of law as a tenet of good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced by

an impartial regulatory body, for the full protection of stakeholders. Access to information and

the promotion of procedural rights provide an enabling framework where accountability and

improved delivery could enhance institutional changes. Information availability and

understandability is important in order for constituents and leaders to be informed of problems as

well as the problems. Laws should be fair and enforced impartially especially the laws of human

rights. A key element of the rule of law in a democracy is equality before the law.

“Citizens living in democracies are willing to obey the laws of their society because they

are submitting to their own rules and regulations. Justice is best achieved when the laws

are established by the very people who must obey them. This again emphasises the

necessity for people participation in their own governance (including the making of laws)

through consultative processes in decision-making.”9

7 Mercycorps, 10

8 Mercycorps, 110

9 Kamp 2011, 21

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Citizenry participation is essential in all facets of governance if there is indeed to be good

governance.

Good governance is also consensus-oriented as it seeks for broad consensus in society rather than

permitting minority views to override all other views. Good governance mediates differing

interests to reach a broad consensus on what is in the best interest of the group and, where

possible, on policies and procedures.10

Underlying this tenet are the theories of consensus and

consensus decision making. The process of achieving consensus involves serious consideration

of each and every group within society. It usually means collaboration rather than compromise

and instead of one decision being adopted through plurality there is in fact a meeting of

stakeholders until a convergent decision is made. Governance Pro posits;

“Good governance requires consultation to understand the different interests of

stakeholders in order to reach a broad consensus of what is in the best interest of the

entire stakeholder group and how this can be achieved in a sustainable and prudent

manner.”

Consensus Decision making is a decision process that not only seeks the agreement of most

participants, but also to resolve or mitigate the objections of the minority to achieve the most

agreeable decision. It is used to emphasize promote individual expression and voices. This aspect

of governance thus ensures citizen participation as well as protecting the more vulnerable and

minority groups within a society.

Participation as a tenet of good governance allows and provides avenues whereby which citizens

can partake in the decision making process within a country. Some posit that it is the axis where

by all the other tenets of good governance revolve. Citizen participation is a key element in

10 Graham et al 2003, 3.

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promoting transparency and accountability. Men and women must participate as equals in all

urban decision making, priority-setting and resource allocation processes. All citizens must have

a voice in the decision making process whether through direct or indirect channels. There are a

number of mechanisms whereby which this is possible. That is through the adoption of local

government. Ragoonath in his paper noted that local government needed to be located in the

arena of participatory democracy. In reference to Mill, Ragoonath in his paper postulates

“From the perspective of local government, Mill went on to argue that participation by

local residents would allow them to utilize their local understanding of problems and

issues in the design and implementation of policies to better meet their requirements. This

is the basis of participatory democracy in local government.

Participatory democracy seeks to develop the relationship between state, civil society and

subject populations. The impact of this would be the enhancement of a sense of political

efficacy. The distance between citizens and centres of power would be reduced, with the

nurturing of an active and knowledgeable citizenry. Other critical spin-offs would include

increased levels of accountability and transparency.”11

This therefore shows the importance of local government in the whole concept of participatory

democracy. It not only allows for individuals to participate blindly, but through their

participation there would be education and a growth in knowledge about political and even

developmental issues. It would also close the seemingly invisible divide that exists between

central government and the citizenry of the country.

11 Ragoonath 2009, 36

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As one Author notes over the past two decades participatory institutions have been initiated

throughout the developing world in order to deepen the quality of democracy.12

12 Wempler, 2

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Discussion and Analysis

The statement posited by Owen Arthur that “It surely must be the mission of this generation to

make consensus building the foundation of a new form of Governance; to make popular and

effective participation and inclusion the key facets of our political culture,” it would seem is the

actual position held by leaders within Trinidad and Tobago. For years the island nation has

strived through one way or another to incorporate the wider citizenry in the decision making

process, facilitate consensus building, foster inclusiveness and ensure participation. The question

subsequently arises to what degree has these aspects of governance, actually taken place within

the country.

The first instance of participation could be seen at election time where citizens vote for

representatives to represent their interests on national issues. As Ragoonath posits; “Elections

facilitate citizen participation in the process of government but may reduce the scope for direct

participation and involvement of the citizenry once representatives are elected, since it is now the

representative who participates and not the individual citizen.”13

The call for deeper and direct

participation from the citizenry caused subsequent governments to put forward proposals for

greater citizen involvement in the decision making framework of the country. It would of course

aid with accountability and hold the government in check as they provide for the needs of the

citizens whom elected them.

Within the Peoples Partnership 2010 manifesto they put forward seven pillars of sustainable

development for the country. Pillar 6 for sustainable development as suggested was the whole

notion of Good governance particularly participatory democracy. Under this banner, there was

13 Ragoonath 2009, 34

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the note that ensuring good governance, three initiatives must be undertaken notably;

strengthening existing institutions, enhancing democracy and strengthening execution and

delivery capacity. All these indeed would foster good governance.

One of the first steps that the government proposed to foster good governance was constitutional

reform. The proposal suggested that for constitutional reform there would be consultations with

the wider population that would inform and influence the documents produced and the decisions

undertaken by the government. This was the proposal in 2010. The question thus is whether or

not any strides were taken to make this proposal a reality. On Saturday 2nd

March 2013 a

commission was formed to indeed carry out the proposal as stated by the 2010 Peoples

Partnership manifesto. The commission embarked on a hectic itinerary of consultation across

Trinidad and Tobago.

These forums allowed for the citizens to voice their opinions on the issues of constitutional

reform. In a document produced with regard to the drive by government for constitutional

reform, it posits that;

“The range of issues raised at these consultations encompassed both constitutional and

general public policy matters. The Commission adopted an approach of listening to

persons speak on matters they wished to raise, rather than exercising a judgment about

whether the particular matter being raised was of a constitutional nature or not.”14

This statement shows the drive of the government to include the citizenry in the decision making

process. The participation of the population was not limited to attending the meetings but also by

crossing the digital divide. There was the creation of an online portal that allowed citizens to

submit online suggestions.

14 Trinidad and Tobago Constitution reform Commission 2013, 4.

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The government, as previously noted that saw strengthening the institutions as on avenue to

promote good governance within the country. One of these institutions is that of Local

Government. The manifesto posits that citizens and communities would be provided with

opportunities to determine what priorities, projects, and services would be delivered to their

respective communities. They put forward the notion that there would be timely dispensation of

funds and resources from the central government to local government, to enable local

government to deliver quality service to the communities.

Strengthening local government undoubtedly strengthens participatory democracy within a

country. Local government presents the opportunity for ordinary people to be involved in the

decisions that affect their lives and their communities by serving as councilors.15

The Peoples

Partnership manifesto posits a number of mechanisms whereby which the whole institution of

local government can be established. Key in this is the is the devolution of authority and

resources from central government institutions such as Community Development, Housing,

Social Welfare, Sports, Planning, Environment.

In the 2010 Manifesto the issue of consensus and inclusion in decision making is highlighted.

The government proposed that an online database would be formed that would allow citizens to

voice their opinions and suggestions on topics related to local governance and participation. The

proposal suggested the establishment of government- funded free internet cafés in communities.

This makes provision for people who may not in fact have access to internet at home to have the

opportunity to participate in decision making through the internet portal.

Are consensus building, effective participation and inclusion actually realistic or is it just an

idealistic view put forward by linear thinking scholars? The answer to this is evident in the drive

15 Ragoonath 2009, 35

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by government to truly encourage citizen participation in the decision making process. The

citizens within the country are definitely seen as important facets in the decision making process

in contemporary political frameworks. There is now a drive or push for a change in the political

culture of countries as including citizen participation in decision making and consensus on

decisions is now taking priority.

While there is a push toward making consensus, inclusion and citizenry participation a part of the

political culture within Trinidad and Tobago, the reality is that in many aspects the

implementation of policies and practices that foster these aspects of good governance is not put

in place. There should be a greater effort by leaders to actually foster and engage citizenry

participation, and consensus in the decision making processes, procedures and practices.

Ragoonath in his paper identifies some core issues that may arise in actually adopting practices

and policies with regard to participatory democracy through the avenue of local government.

One is the issue of revenue availability to actually give local government institutions the

autonomy for making decisions on communal development. With this issue local government

would only be able to act as agents of central government. However this is not particularly the

case with Trinidad and Tobago where there is a degree of devolution existing in the form of the

Tobago House of assembly.

Another issue is that of Plural society. Trinidad and Tobago is considered to be a “text book”

plural society where ethnic groups live side by side but there is no assimilation in terms of

culture and politics. There is thus a struggle for power and power when held by one group is not

shared with the other. This can be a serious issue as it undoubtedly prevents the inclusion of the

citizenry.

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“….some local government theorists have postulated that local government is a good

mechanism for the sharing of power through the use of a pluralist system of democracy.

The pluralist theory of democracy, as opposed to problematic view of plural societies,

seeks to spread power throughout the society so that governments must respond to the

demands of the many interests involved.”16

The problem really with this is the ability and the manner in which governments would adopt the

pluralist system of democracy. As proposed by the 2010 Manifesto, the local government the

local government would certainly have some form of autonomy as it relates to actually making

decisions on what should be done inn community development and infrastructure. The inclusion

of all citizens irrespective of ethnic affiliation in the decisions of local government and even in

the areas of constitutional reform is the mission of this government.

16

Ragoonath 2009, 46

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Conclusion

This paper does recognize the need and importance of good governance within the country of

Trinidad and Tobago. Consensus building should indeed be the foundation of a new form of

governance, while making popular and effective participation key facets of the political culture.

As posited within the discussion and analysis, the government of Trinidad and Tobago has also

seen the importance of fostering the effective participation and inclusion of citizens within the

decision making framework of the country. Whether it be on the bases of decision through local

government authorities or on a wider scope as noted in constitutional reform, various forums and

initiatives have been in the been proposed to include citizens and allow for consensus on the

suggestions in decision making .

All in all, there should be a greater effort by leaders to actually foster and engage citizenry

participation, and consensus in the decision making processes, procedures and practices. While

the manifesto proposes many avenues for greater citizenry involvement there is the issue of

actually enacting all that has been proposed.

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Bibliography

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Control. New York: Oxford University Press.

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Colgate University.

Kemp, Mathias. 2011. Concepts and Principles of Democratic Governance and Accountability.

Uganda: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

Graham, John, Bruce Amos and Tim Plumptre. 2003. “Principles for Good Governance in the

21st Century.” Institute on Governance 115:1-6

Ragoonath, Bishnu. 2009. “Yes to Local Government, No to Participatory Democracy: The

Local Governance Reform Dilemma in Trinidad, St. Lucia and St. Vincent.”

Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance 3:31-50.

Stefanick, Lorna. 2013. “Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance: Is Alberta

Cursed?” Canadian Association of Political Science, June.

UN Habitat. 2002. The Global Campaign on Urban Governance, Concept Paper, 2nd Edition,

March.

Wempler, Brian. “Does Participatory Democracy Actually Deepen Democracy? Lessons from

Brazil.”

2010. Prosperity for All Manifesto of the People’s Partnership for a United People to Achieve

Sustainable Development for Trinidad and Tobago.

2013. Trinidad and Tobago Constitution Reform Commission.