Discordant governance

Editorial Published October 16, 2015

THE recent moves by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to stamp his leadership on a fractious cabinet are welcome, but more is going to be required in the days to come if the ship of government is to be put back on an even keel.

The latest meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy saw a few decisive decisions, and an earlier meeting between the prime minister and the minister for planning also saw a firm and unambiguous statement of support for the oversight functions being performed by the Planning Commission.

Removal of the managing director of the Nandipur power plant, that has become an albatross around the government’s neck, had become necessary following the prolonged failure to make the plant operational and to rectify its problems.

The managing director was unable to fix the problems of the plant, and had also failed to locate a contractor to run the project, despite being given a number of opportunities to do so. The step itself comes a little late in the day, and had this been a purely private-sector project, it would in all likelihood, have been taken much sooner.

But the step is a modest one compared to the scale of the challenges that the many failures of the Nandipur project have thrown up.

For one, the whole episode, coupled with other failures to smoothly implement large projects in the public sector, has cast a cloud over the capacity of the government to implement the bouquet of CPEC projects under its charge.

The rivalry between the ministers playing out so publicly is also unlikely to recede following the prime minister’s rebuke — the challenge requires a chief executive who is less aloof from the affairs of state, meaning Mr Sharif will have to change his style of leadership if he wants his government officials to focus on solving problems rather than settling scores with each other.

The Nandipur project has become an emblem of the government’s ineptitude, and a lightning rod for its internal wrangling.

Fixing the problem is a big task now, but it is also important to remember that the many failures that went into the making of this debacle will not go away even when the project is finally operational.

Eventually, what needs to be fixed is not just one power plant, but the way the government operates — a mid-course correction that will take more than just a lecture.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2015

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Larkanavi

Oct 16, 2015 04:28am

"Eventually, what needs to be fixed is not just one power plant, but the way the government operates —" Well said. However, I would like to add that the current crop of PMLN leadership is totally incompetent to govern at the national level. Being elected third time as Prime Minister has not brought any change in the leadership style of NS. Hoping against hope that he will deliver this time is like living in a fool's paradise.

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Ali

Oct 16, 2015 06:28am

And what happened to that "Sitara-e-Imtiaz" awarded to somebody for the same project which is still not operational.

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Abbas Baloch

Oct 16, 2015 06:50am

Discordant governance is much better than derogatory governance or governance in doldrums as of deceased PPP. It means alarm bells have started ringing up and its wake up call to sing a swan song, otherwise voters will vote you out. Personal vendettas among federal cabinet in particular and at grass root stage within PML-N are rising with every melting moment. PML-N was a last glimmer of hope, but our dreams have started putting on a pall of pain. Common people don't have appreciations and admirations for Metro or mega spectres, they need electricity, quality education, basic health facilities, clean environment and peace, but nothing is in the governance of PML-N. They have win the by election in NA-122 with a whisker and that's a forensic, concrete, biometric and substantial proof of their sinking titanic. PML-N mounted massive mandate in 2013, but all they need is to learn the parables of good governance before sudden, tragic, untimely and tearful death like her excellency madam PPP

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Syed Ali

Oct 16, 2015 07:30am

@Larkanavi I digress: who you think has given you Raheel Shareef; this proves Nawaz Sharif has acumen to govern the country.

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Amir Dewani

Oct 16, 2015 01:23pm

Leader is the one who leads as a model, as a facilitator to the team. Governance in terms of the democratic principles as propounded by Plato means the leader passing over the success of the venture to the team, and owning the responsibility for the failures for himself, if any.Common concern for common good is the basis of good governance.

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Larkanavi

Oct 16, 2015 05:18pm

@Syed Ali Let us not forget that it is the same Nawaz Sharif who plucked Musharraf out of thin air, appointed him COAS, and was later dismissed and imprisoned by the same General when the General was literally flying in thin air. Does that too show his acumen to govern the country?

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Kazim Reza

Oct 16, 2015 05:51pm

I found in a online dictionary that"the operative principle of democracy is a balance of discordant qualities".Dawn correctly summed up:Eventually, what needs to be fixed is not just one power plant, but the way the government operates — a mid-course correction that will take more than just a lecture.

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