Good governance and conflict transformation in Sri Lanka [Elektronische Ressource] : a political analysis of people's perceptions of institutions at the local level and the challenges of decentralised governance / submitted by: Christine Bigdon

Informations

• Publié par: ruprecht-karls-universitat_heidelberg
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2007
• Nombre de lectures: 16
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 6 Mo

Extrait

Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Fakultät für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften
Südasien-Institut, Abteilung Politische Wissenschaft






Inaugural - Dissertation





Good Governance and Conflict Transformation
in Sri Lanka

A Political Analysis of People’s Perceptions of Institutions at the Local
Level and the Challenges of Decentralised Governance




Submitted by:

Christine Bigdon, M.A.
Rosental 96
53111 Bonn




Supervisor:
Prof. Dr. Subrata K. Mitra
March 2006

Acknowledgements

To complete a Ph.D. thesis means to have reached the end of a long, exciting, sometimes
overwhelming adventure. At the end of this process it is particularly difficult to keep track of
what has been achieved and to appreciate the interesting aspects of the topic one has been
researching for such a long time. For me the most exciting part is to think back to the
beginning of this process and to those who have shared this road with me. It has been them,
the team of research colleagues, partners in critical discussions, supporters, family members
and friends who have made this experience lively, valuable and at the end truly enjoyable.

I am deeply grateful to my supervisor Professor S.K. Mitra who has always encouraged and
supported me throughout this long journey from the initial ideas up to the final preparation of
this dissertation. Thanks also to other colleagues from the South Asia Institute, especially
Prof. Hans-Georg Bohle, Dr. Karsten Frey, Hartmut Fünfgeld, Christiane Noe and Pia
Hollenbach for their support and encouragement to begin and to complete this work. I would
like to thank the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation for providing me with a scholarship to complete
this Ph.D. and a network of other Ph.D.-candidates with whom I could share experiences.
The Berghof Foundation for Conflict Studies and Transformation, Sri Lanka has provided
funds and other support for the empirical research of this study. Dr. Norbert Ropers, Director
of the Berghof Foundation has been a key-person in the initiation of this research and a
source of inspiration. Special thanks also to Claus-Dieter Wild from the Berghof Office in
Berlin for his efforts in responding to difficult literature inquiries.

The empirical research was conducted jointly by a wonderful research team from Colombo,
Batticaloa and Heidelberg University. First of all I would like to express my deep gratitude to
my colleague Ayoma Abeysuriya, who has been at the centre of keeping the research team
together and has provided all manner of essential support. I would also especially like to
thank my Sri Lankan supervisor Prof. Siri Hettige for his initiative and enthusiasm in starting
this research project. Also special thanks to the two senior researchers Dr. Yuvi Thangarajah
and Prof. Laksiri Fernando, with whom it was a pleasure to work. I also want to thank Mr.
Thirunavukarasu, Mr. Dissanayake, Mr. Seneratne and the other survey support team
members for their great engagement as well as Dr. W. Gooneratne and Mr. G.
Wickremasinghe for their logistical support. The Sri Lanka Institute of Local Governance
particularly Ms. Nandani Gunasekera played a key role in opening the doors to local
authorities – a support that was crucial for the success of this work.

I am deeply thankful to those who contributed to this research project through sharing their
time, experiences, ‘stories’ and knowledge with us. I would especially like to thank the
officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government for their
support and interest in this research, the chairmen and council members of the local
authorities we visited, the Government Agents and Divisional Secretaries, Provincial Council
representatives, the representatives of the trade unions, NGOs, Mediation Boards, police as
well as citizens from the four research study locations.

ii
Of the colleagues and friends in Sri Lanka who influenced my ideas, with whom I debated
political issues or who gave critical feed-back, I would like to mention Dr. Markus Mayer,
Maleeka Salih, Ananda Galapathi, M. Sidhartan, Sunil Bastian, Eberhard Halbach, Rohan
Edrisinha, Darini Rajasingham-Senanayake, Rohini Singarayer, Dedo Geinitz, Christoph
Feyen, Antonia Engel, Benedikt Korf, Eberhard Bauer and Camilla Orjuela.

A substantial contribution with regard to proof reading, critical feed-back, long inspirational
discussions, and endless encouragement to keep going came from Dr. Christian Wagner, Dr.
Markus Mayer, Maleeka Salih and Wolfram Zunzer - to whom I want to express my deepest
gratitude. Special thanks also to Virginia Roaf for the fantastic work done in editing the
language and to Astrid Fischer for typesetting the final document.

Warmest thanks to my family and friends and especially to my partner Wolfram and my
daughter Elisa for all their support throughout this journey and for their confidence that this
thesis would indeed be completed one day.


Bonn, December 2006 Christine Bigdon



iii
Table of Content:

0 Preface
Acknowledgements ii
Abbreviations vii
ListofGraphs,Boxes andTables ix
ExecutiveSummary(English & German) Xi

11 Introduction
1.1 Democracyandgovernance in Sri Lanka – background to the researchfocus 1
1.2 CoreConceptandResearch Methodology 6
1.2.1 ‘Perceptions count’ – assessing governance through the eyes of the people 6
1.2.2 Learning from ‘Case Studies’ – local governance in three regions of Sri Lanka 8
1.2.3 Empirical research methodology 11
1.3 Chapter Outline 15

16 2‘Governance’ and ‘Good Governance’ – the International
Discourse
2.1 Governance - from government to (good) governance 16
2.1.1 The discourses on ‘democracy measuring’ and ‘assessing governance’ 16
2.1.2 Roots and definitions of the governance discourse 19
2.1.2.1 From government to governance: the minimal state, socio-cybernetic 19
systems and self-organizing networks
2.1.2.2 Governance as ‘socio-political’ or ‘interactive’ governing 22
2.1.2.3 The role of actors and institutions in interactive governance 24
2.2 Strengthening the local level – decentralisation, challenges and trends 26
2.2.1 Challenges and trends of local governance 26
2.2.2 Decentralisation – strengthening local governance towards more efficiency 30
and the accommodation of diversity
2.3 International approaches and indicators to assess good governance 36
2.3.1 The international good governance discourse and indices (World Bank & UN 36
Habitat)
2.3.1.1 ‘Governance matters’ and ‘Governance diagnostic’ - The World Bank 39
Governance Measurement Approaches
2.3.1.2 The UN-Habitat Index on good governance 41
2.3.2 Conclusion: Developing a context-specific good governance model 42

47 3Institution Building and Conflict in Sri Lanka
3.1 Dynamics of protracted conflict Sri Lanka 47
3.1.1 Background causes of the protracted conflict 48
3.1.2 Actors, issues & mobilisation strategies 49
3.1.3 Catalysts of violent conflict 55
3.2 Milestones in the devolution politics and discourse on federalism 58
3.3 Re-centralisation or more autonomy for local government? 65
3.3.1 Historical development of the local government system 65
3.3.2 Introduction and functions of the provincial council system 67
3.3.3 The present local government system 69
3.3.4 Reform Agenda of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Provincial Council and Local 72
Government

477 Empirical Study on ‘Good Governance’ and the Realities of Local
Governance in Selected Regions of Sri Lanka
4.1 Introduction to the three research regions: the actors, institutions and 77
development & conflict dimensions
4.1.1 Ambagamuwa Pradeshiya Sabha, Nuwara Eliya District 77
4.1.1.1 The area and its regional context 77
iv
4.1.1.2 Socio-economic context and conflict dimensions in the area 80
4.1.1.3 The actors and institutions of the local governance system 83
4.1.1.4 People’s perceptions about the actors of the local governance system – 85
findings from the household survey
4.1.2 Moneragala Padeshiya Sabha, Moneragala District 86
4.1.2.1 The area and its regional context 86
4.1.2.2 Socio-economic context and conflict dimensions in the area 89
4.1.2.3 The actors and institutions of the local governance system 92
4.1.2.4 People’s perceptions about the actors of the local governance system – 95
findings from the household survey
4.1.3 Kaluvanchikudiyiruppu Pradeshiya Sabha & Kattankudy Urban Council, 96
Batti