UNDP assists in local government reforms

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is helping the Tajik government draft a new law on local government with a view to initiating much-needed reform, IRIN learnt on Tuesday. Local government currently only has limited capacity due to insufficient funding, and the legal framework governing its institutions does not cover some informal structures at community level. The roles and responsibilities of different levels of government are not clearly defined, leading sometimes to duplication and inefficiency. “The new law on local government is expected to clearly delineate the roles and functions between the different levels of government to improve service delivery at the local level and bring local governance closer to the people,” Mia Seppo, the UNDP deputy resident representative, told IRIN from the capital, Dushanbe. Having concluded the agreement in late February, the agency intends to help in reviewing and analysing existing laws, and will provide expertise during the drafting process. Keeping in mind the significance of the local government law in a post-conflict country, UNDP will also support consultations on the draft law at the provincial and local levels. After the signing of the peace accord in 1997 following the five-year civil war in Tajikistan, reform remained limited to upper levels of government. But many believe that improvements in the local government structure were also necessary. “You need a strong centre, but efficient administration at the local level,” Seppo said. The country is administratively divided into five regions or provinces with regional governments, which are in turn subdivided into districts. The local governments in 62 districts are further divided into 356 Jamoats, or local councils. There are 3,500 villages in the country, each of which has a Mahalla committee, or informal decision-making body. Seppo explained that under the present system, the districts and Jamoats vary sharply in size and population, with some districts in densely populated parts of the country embracing some 40,000 people, while districts in mountain areas have no more than 5,000 people. In addition to such disparities, the extent of local government authority and the relationship between various levels of government remain uncertain. Moreover, the power of patronage exercised by central government in appointing local government administrators tends to discourage independent action or policy making. According to Seppo, local governments in Tajikistan are operating with very low capacities and serious resource constraints. “There is an element of de-link between the different governance levels in terms of information flow, for example, the budgetary process,” she said. With over 80 percent of its 6.2 million people living in very poor conditions, Tajikistan remains the most underdeveloped of the former Soviet Central Asian republics. Experts believe that reform of the local government structures is necessary, because these authorities face important social, political and administrative developmental challenges. In addition, the geographic isolation of rural communities in this landlocked, mountainous country with its poorly developed transportation infrastructure limits access to information and foreign assistance. Seppo noted that UNDP’s assistance to Tajikistan in local governance builds on many years of work with local authorities and communities in promoting recovery of the war-damaged economy and conflict prevention at the community level. Since establishing its office in Tajikistan in 1994, UNDP has focused on the link between peace and development. At present, the agency is structured around the provision of support in three major areas, these being economic reform and poverty reduction through reconstruction, rehabilitation and development projects. It also engages in crisis prevention and peace building through vocational training, and supporting demobilisation and employment.