Opinion
Analysis
Good if the UN
“fails”
The United Nations has to change if the organisation is to play an important
role globally. But from certain aspects, it would be for the good if the coming
reforms failed.
It is risky to portray the coming 2005 World Summit in September as the moment
when everything will be settled, where it is to be decided whether the world
organisation will be of any relevance, or if it is to play a marginal role in
the future.
What if anything goes “wrong”? Is it time to dismantle the UN if the
expectations of the changes are not met? And who decides whether or not the
reform process has been successful?
Apparent it is that there is a lot that has to be improved and become more
effective if the UN can survive as an important player. It has to be able to
intervene in a case of genocide. Every time the organisation becomes a
spectator, as in the case of Darfur, its authority becomes a laughing stock.
The principle that there is an obligation by the state to protect – that if a
government is unable to or refuses to protect its citizens against abuse, the
international community will intervene – has to become a guiding star in an era
of multilateralism. The idea of sacred borders has to be abandoned. Turning a
blind eye on the present situation in Zimbabwe should not be allowed, for
example.
Some of the core parts of the reform package can only be regarded as symbolic.
The extension of the Security Council is the most vivid example. Proponents
argue that it would give improved legitimacy, and in the same breath proceed to
maintain that today’s Security Council lacks legitimacy.
Many agree that the current structuration is outdated, that the balance of power
is different today from that when the UN was created.
It is questionable why France, Great Britain and Russia have permanent seats and
the right of veto, while countries like Germany, Japan and India do not. Should
not the European Union be represented, or why not the African Union? Is it right
that a country like China can veto decisions?
But the Council is there, and one has to react accordingly. It is somewhat
misleading to think that more members would inevitably help to solve the UN’s
problems. One danger is that its effectiveness would become downgraded. A
Security Council that is unable to make decisions is a council that the world’s
only superpower would hardly consider it necessary to consult.
Proponents still argue that effectiveness is not everything. Decisions have to
turn into action and it would be easier if more regions of the world were
permanently represented in the council.
Yet that is difficult to agree with. Can South Africa speak for the whole of
Africa? Or Nigeria? Are Bolivia or Peru more likely to be positive if decisions
are taken by Brazil or Argentina? Would Pakistan feel more secure if India were
given a permanent seat?
The UN will hardly be stronger if more members are gathered round the Council’s
table. On the contrary, it is easier to argue that it would be better for the
world organisation if the reform process on this central issue, “failed”.
Doctors’
strike, lessons learnt
A massive strike of the interns and employed doctors of Muhimbili National
Hospital (MNH) was eventually brought to a halt, as the government complied with
the demands set out by the medical practitioners.
The Deputy Minister for Health, Dr. Hussein Mwinyi, was reported as saying that
the government would pay the outstanding dues of the interns. This should indeed
be mission accomplished because the patients, some in a critical condition, have
suffered a lot.
It was very sad seeing the entire MNH complex deserted, with patients opting to
flee the hospital rather than remain unattended. The government could have
handled the issue rather more satisfactorily, had it complied with doctors’
demands or at least made a more conciliatory response.
For years now the government has been incurring lots of expenses to fund various
students who went abroad for studies, many of whom having trained as pharmacists
or medical doctors. Since independence we have had many professionals who have
studied in the United Kingdom, Russia, Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands, the
U.S.A, Canada…
However, many government-sponsored university students tend to remain in Europe
or America upon completion of their studies.
The perception that most professionals have, especially at the beginning of
their careers, is that the work environment is so pathetic at home that they
would rather remain abroad doing odd jobs which do not correspond to their
education. These jobs sometimes earn them more money than they would have
gotten, had they chosen to come back home and work according to what they
trained for.
This is a loss to the government and the nation as a whole. The government must
ensure that people in key professions, like medicine, are comfortable. Doctors
should not have to forcefully demand their rights!
Wanted: Honest
parliamentarians
By Evarist Kagaruki
Sometime back I mentioned in this column that although some of our
legislators have stayed in parliament for too long and were showing all the
signs of political fatigue, they do not give any indication that they are ready
to retire. I said that some of these have served for more than two decades (as
elected MPs) but have no track record to prove that they deserved to be
re-elected several times over. Perhaps what they can readily show us is how they
have managed to improve their own welfare.
Other parliamentarians, I said, have served their constituents very well, but
due to old age they seem to have run out of new ideas to help their
constituencies make further progress on the socio-economic front. I therefore
proposed that there was a need to seriously consider a constitutional amendment
that would limit the tenure of office for our MPs to two terms of five years
each.
The problem with the current practice whereby MPs can serve “indefinitely” (so
long as they stand and get elected) was that it carries with it the danger of
such people turning the constituencies into virtual “chiefdoms”. In fact this is
already happening in some constituencies where certain long-serving
parliamentarians brag that no one can unseat them!
Armed with enormous experience in the game of politics, and the wherewithal to
organise “takrima” (which some critics see as a legalised form of “corruption”),
the veteran MPs are capable of carrying out a successful and aggressive
campaign.
The power of incumbency at the parliamentary level (in some cases) nowadays
derives essentially from the economic (financial) muscle of the individual
legislators seeking re-election. For, these people enjoy a hefty gratuity of Tsh.
20 million at the end of their term (of five years), which some deservedly earn
anyway.
It is against this background that the problem of monopoly of parliamentary
seats by some politicians in some constituencies persists. And as long as there
is no term limit for our legislators, this problem is there to stay.
Long-serving MPs who may have outlived their usefulness in their respective
constituencies, are more likely to retain their seats because they have the
experience and resources to put up a strong campaign and beat their opponents at
the polls.
Unfortunately, in this country there is no culture of voluntary retirement or
accountability amongst the political class. Only in extremely rare cases would a
politician who has proved a miserable failure (and therefore a liability to the
public) voluntarily step down.
And perhaps one of such rare cases is the long-serving MP for Bukene, in Nzega
District, Stephen Kahumbi, who according to media reports, recently announced in
Parliament he would step down this year out of respect for his constituents. He
says he had “failed” to provide electricity to his constituents because the
government did not honour its pledge to provide electricity to all the villages
in his constituency, which are near major power lines.
In a rare demonstration of a high sense of responsibility and accountability,
Kahumbi told Parliament: “I am retiring, but am asking for pardon from my
constituents in Bukene as I have not been able to bring them the promised
electricity. I have fought (in Parliament) for it, during the past 15 years
without success”. Amid applause from his peers, he added: “It is with regret and
a lot of pain that I have to step down without delivering on a promise I made 15
years ago”.
This is the kind of politician Tanzanians need to elect – candid, honest and
accountable to the electorate. Kahumbi is an example worth emulating.
Personally, I admire this man and wish him a happy retirement.