Suchergebnisse

The pace of the process of decentralisation in a given context unavoidably depends on the degree of favourableness of the legal environment and the dynamism of stakeholders (especially of local authorities, the state, development cooperation partners and civil society). This paper seeks to inform on the state of the process in Cameroon by exposing its current legal environment, its constraints and the level of organisation of its key actors in relation to the legal environment. Drawing from this assessment, the paper assesses the shortcomings of the decentralisation process in Cameroon while arguing that the objective for embarking on decentralisation in each context varies with its promoter. In the case of Cameroon, decentralisation constitutes the legal, institutional and financial means through which regional and local authorities operate to foster local development with the active involvement of the population. Through the devolution of powers to local entities, local development could be enhanced and a contribution made to the fight against poverty. The assessment of the legal framework and of its stakeholders shows that the decentralisation laws passed in 2004 in Cameroon have local development and governance as their main thrust. The new laws certainly create an environment that represents an irreversible step forward for the process of decentralisation but are in need of completion by the passing of legal instruments of application for them to effectively accelerate the pace of the decentralisation process and good governance. There is also need for better organisation and coordination of interventions of the stakeholders. The process is currently hampered by especially financial constraints on local authorities and limited capacities of the actors and beneficiaries of devolved powers. The paper concludes with a plea in favour of inter alia the strengthening of the capacities of all stakeholders through an approach that is sustainable if the objective of decentralisation is to be met. (Afr Dev/GIGA)

The paper considers the establishment of the guberniya's Cheka and its completion by communists using mobilization among the communists of the central regions of the country, as well as from the local comrades. The paper discovers the chekists' prosecution of former officers, the Socialist-Revolutionaries, Social Democrats, cooperators and students. We study the relations of the Communist party and the Soviet structures with Special Emergency Service. All chiefs of the Tomsk Emergency Committee were not native citizens, unrelated with the local party organizations and city community. Chekists forced the party committees into barring Communists vouch for their arrested comrades. In 1920, only half of the officials of the Cheka were members of the Communist Party. ; Рассматривается становление губернской ЧК и пополнение ее кадрами коммунистов за счет мобилизации из центральных районов страны, а также из местных товарищей. Показано преследование чекистами бывших офицеров, эсеров, социал-демократов, кооператоров, студентов. Исследуется взаимоотношения партийных и советских структур со спецслужбой. Все начальники томской спецслужбы были людьми приезжими, не связанными с местной партийной организацией и городским обществом. Чекисты добились от партийных комитетов запрета коммунистам ручаться за своих арестованных товарищей. В1920 г. лишь половина сотрудников ЧК состояла в коммунистической партии.

The pace of the process of decentralisation in a given context unavoidably depends on the degree of favourableness of the legal environment and the dynamism of stakeholders (especially of local authorities, the state, develop- ment cooperation partners and civil society). This paper seeks to inform on the state of the process in Cameroon by exposing its current legal environment, its constraints and the level of organisation of its key actors in relation to the legal environment. Drawing from this assessment, the paper assesses the shortcom- ings of the decentralisation process in Cameroon while arguing that the objec- tive for embarking on decentralisation in each context varies with its promoter. In the case of Cameroon, decentralisation constitutes the legal, institutional and financial means through which regional and local authorities operate to foster local development with the active involvement of the population. Through the devolution of powers to local entities, local development could be enhanced and a contribution made to the fight against poverty. The assessment of the legal framework and of its stakeholders shows that the decentralisation laws passed in 2004 in Cameroon have local development and governance as their main thrust. The new laws certainly create an environment that represents an irreversible step forward for the process of decentralisation but are in need of completion by the passing of legal instruments of application for them to effec- tively accelerate the pace of the decentralisation process and good governance. There is also need for better organisation and coordination of interventions of the stakeholders. The process is currently hampered by especially financial constraints on local authorities and limited capacities of the actors and benefici- aries of devolved powers. The paper concludes with a plea in favour of inter alia the strengthening of the capacities of all stakeholders through an approach that is sustainable if the objective of decentralisation is to be met.

The study shows that traditional authority is indeed at the crossroads of governance in republican Cameroon. The citizen is bound by both modern law and traditional values; even if political theorists and leaders of republican institutions take objection to certain traditional values and seem to find difficulty over whether/how to formally integrate traditional authorities into the realm of the republic. Traditional authority incarnates a reassuring institutional stability and certainty to the masses, which elected officers (who come and go) do not provide in republican institutions. The vast majority of the population feels distant from the concept of 'republic' at grassroots level, where traditional authority remains the de facto institution of local governance. Based on empirical findings that highlight the important role that traditional authorities play in local development, the paper submits that traditional authorities should be formally integrated into the republican institutional setting by effectively constituting the first level of decentralized institutions of governance.