DRC’s Governance Complexity: Wouldn’t finally be an Empty Box?

Governance either good or bad is likely a broad concept used into scholars and researches to confine a bunch of components that would take time to detail and hence making reader falling bored; an arguably avoidable mistake into these fields. Scholars and researchers prefer to stick on key point while keeping reader concentrated and interested. In addition, it is believed that governance concept contains some ideal components that would take long to be achieved, despite their relevance. Thus, governance practicability would bring in divergences in viewing what it is. Consequently, throwing a glance on governance, it may sound as an empty box in which everyone, based on his appreciation, would eject in or out whatever he wants. That is, it can mean everything or nothing at the same time. Hence, governance relevance and feasibility would depend largely on a pressure exerted by country’s population toward their political and administrative leaders. The willingness of the latter can contribute to accelerate its establishment.

Governance is approximately defined as a process through which rulers get authority and how that authority is exercised within a society; highlighting enforcement of rules and mechanisms of handling difference of interests within such society. Importantly, the fundamental components of governance make it sounding relevant in terms of managing a society. It covers rule of law, graft¹, government effectiveness, property rights, accountability, political in-stability, corruption, transparency, efficiency in revenue mobilization and allocation… This is a quite broader concept, containing as many as these complex components. However, despite disagreement on the appropriate measure of governance, some scholars arguably consider effectiveness in public services delivery as a benchmark indicator to assess the quality of government. It means government is measured on final outputs basis such as public security, schooling, public health or transport infrastructures etc.

Albeit disagreement and criticisms regarding measuring governance based on output, in the context of democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it would be underscored as appropriate and important for population’s viewpoints. It can be confirmed that since DRC’s independence, Congolese population haven’t ever tasted, in real sense, the meaning and the role of a state into their daily life. That is why DRC is largely considered inside and outside as a “failed state” due to its ineffectiveness during power exercise. Therefore, most of Congolese would rather prefer an effective public services delivery than watching elections and rotation of top leaders while their socio-economic conditions are remaining worse again and again. Nevertheless, it would sense in-depth that the point of view is not allowing mono-regime; rather, it can be demonstrated that output measure of governance is intertwined with its other components. For instance, it may hardly be possible to effectively deliver if rulers are corrupted or inefficient in terms of resources mobilization-expenditure.

From rule of law, transparency, accountability to tackling corruption and graft, DRC has a long way to go to effectively deliver public services. It has also to be understood that public services delivery is the core to achieve the Addis-Ababa Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework (PSCF) while pointed out as one of the deficiencies of DRC’s governance. Consequently, it is unpredictable when the country will break the cycle of socio-economic and political crises so long as the state remains ineffective to deliver public services. Thus, there is a need to review the current political system for implementing an appropriate one that would confer provinces’ competencies to deal specifically with their socio-cultural and economic differences, away of patronage. Otherwise, governance issues in DRC could last as an empty box due to complexity of these issues when handled only at central level.

The main point in this article is to contribute in reminding those interested in establishing appropriate DRC’s governance, specifically political leaders that the current political “de-centralized system” raises skepticism in terms of reaching effectiveness of public services delivery. Thus calling to review it and ease the decision-making chains from conception to execution. Additionally, there is a need to emphasis on regional socio-cultural specificities that have to be taken into account.

NTANYOMA R. Delphin

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Email: rkmbz1973@gmail.com

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