implementing the rti in bangladesh: the primacy of politics iftekharuz zaman executive director...
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IMPLEMENTING THE RTI IN BANGLADESH:THE PRIMACY OF POLITICS
Iftekharuz ZamanExecutive Director
Transparency International Bangladesh
Central Information Commission Annual ConventionNew Delhi, 13 September 2010
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The Context
• Multi-stakeholder campaign– Civil society, media the driving force
• 1983 ►► 2004 ►► 2008 ►► 2009• Bangladeshi tradition of civic engagement in
democratic institutionalization• The RTI Act 2009
– Comparable to similar laws/Acts elsewhere– Welcomed and criticized (exemption list)– Expectations overload
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RTI - Primacy of the PoliticalPassing of the Right to Information Act is an epoch-making incident in Bangladesh history … it will greatly help establish accountability and transparency in every sphere of society and the administration … the government will continue to work to safeguard the people's right to information …
Sheikh HasinaPrime Minister of Bangladesh
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RTI in Bangladesh: A political opening?
• The political will - how deep & genuine?
• Time will tell, but notably: – Not just because of Civil Society demand &
for the CTG-period Ordinance– National consensus – electoral pledge of all
major political parties (esp the ruling Awami League’s specific pledge plus several supportive ones)
– One of the acts that clearly received priority in the very first session of the 9th Parliament
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RTI in Bangladesh: Responsibility of political leaders
• No clear strategy yet– No true lead agency – Low inter-ministerial coordination– No action plan, reporting, monitoring
• Fledgling Information Commission– Independence, effectiveness, resources– New territory for the Commissioners – training &
capacity building
• RTI-friendly Demand & Supply Side – not yet– Low proactive disclosure in public institutions– New to the demand side
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RTI in Bangladesh:Responsibility of political leaders
• RTI-friendly IM System– No initiative to transform the archaic IM
system to facilitate easy, dependable and secure archiving and retrieval
• Hardly any signs of transition from a culture of secrecy to openness– Ownership of the law & capacity– Challenging the mindset & inertia
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RTI in Bangladesh:Responsibility of political leaders
• RTI-Friendly legal system– Review and analysis the applicability of the Act– Harmonization/reform of existing laws with the
Act to remove any inconsistencies
• Remove Legal and other provisions that may make it difficult to enforce the RTI Act– Officials not clear about the dividing line– Few politicians consider it their responsibility
• Create the supportive institutions - courts and law-enforcement system
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Can they deliver?Deficit in democratic practice - the Devil
• Gresham’s law in politics
• Politics as a business/investment
• Mutual tension bordering on hatred
• Bureaucracy-dependent political elite
• Low level of democracy, transparency, disclosure in political parties
• Zero-sum game – winner takes all
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Dropping Tender -- “Winner takes all” ….
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“Its our turn” …
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The result could be …
Democracy –
off the people
buy the people
far the people
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Challenges
• RTI will be resisted – from within
– Politicians & public officials – for it reduces the scope of discretion & abuse of power
– Business for vested interests in the triangular collusion
– Media as a party in the collusion
– NGOs for gains from non-disclosure
– Civil Society for disunity and low capacity
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Looking aheadRTI not in isolation from politics
• Rule of law/effective institutions – the Parliament, courts, law-enforcement, bureaucracy and oversight system
• Strengthen democracy within political parties – internalizing openness
• Democracy with the people - empower those to whom power is to belong, create stronger citizens voice & demand
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Know your rightsControl corruption