“Three kinds of dilemmas stand in the way of security sector reform. The first is ‘hyperpoliticisation’: Every aspect of transition becomes a zero-sum contest between rival political camps, paralysing governance. For large numbers of citizens, government legitimacy is determined by its ability to repress political or social actors that are seen as threatening -- rather than on its readiness to deliver democracy, rule of law, and human rights -- resulting in a restoration of authoritarian practices. As a result, violence becomes the ‘currency’ through which both governance and opposition are exercised. The high financial cost of modernising and professionalising security sectors poses a second, ‘political economy’ dilemma.”
“Arab Spring: Unreformed policing hampers transitions” (Yezid Sayigh, Al-Jazeera) “Three kinds of dilemmas stand in the way of security sector reform. The first is ‘hyperpoliticisation’: Every aspect of transition becomes a zero-sum contest between rival political camps, paralysing governance. For large numbers of citizens, government legitimacy is determined by its ability to repress political or social actors that are seen as threatening -- rather than on its readiness to deliver democracy, rule of law, and human rights -- resulting in a restoration of authoritarian practices. As a result, violence becomes the ‘currency’ through which both governance and opposition are exercised. The high financial cost of modernising and professionalising security sectors poses a second, ‘political economy’ dilemma.” William J. Burns and Marwan Muasher write: Five years after igniting the Arab Awakening and inspiring the world, the bloom has come off the Jasmine Revolution. A combination of internal headwinds and regional whirlwinds are extinguishing Tunisian hopes for a consolidated new social contract. “Each of us here is a time bomb,” warned one protest organizer in the town of Kasserine. – Washington Post
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
May 2024
Categories |