Power Sharing in Post conflict Societies: Implications for Peace and Governance

I, Overview:

The authors of the article have shown their capacity how to study and analyze data to produce an important article in relation to power sharing in post conflict societies. It also explained the implication of power sharing to peace, and good governance to the betterment of the people. The article evaluated the contribution of power sharing for stability and peace duration, it includes the components which determine the sustainability of peace and respect rule of law.

The authors argued that the helpful contributions of political power sharing, dividing a pie specially, closed-list proportional representation (PR) electoral arrangements are prominent among power-sharing procedures. According to their findings, closed-list PR has special compromising roles to bring better governance results, which has also an important contribution for minimizing the causes of conflict raised from weak public service deliveries and inefficient governance. Melani Cammett and Edmund Malesky argued that closed-list PR’s has the ability to improve the discipline of the rival parties and serve as controlling instruments on executive power accordingly. To study and come up to these conclusions, they used two major methods; case study and the regression test, the independent outcomes of institutions in relation with stability and governance.

II, The authors reviewed related literatures

They reviewed and studied countries which held post conflict power sharing referring different literatures related with powers sharing arrangements. From the article we can understand that power sharing is a widespread policy treatment for post conflict political leaders and the people at large. It has been exercised Kenya, Burundi, Madagascar, Liberia and other parts of the world. The reasons are well understood, it is important to cool down the tensions and lead to the normalization of the societies who are suffering from the conflicts. However, Post conflict power sharing arrangements still debatable issues in relation to the potential failures due to elite vested interests.

In relation to these, the authors raised the critical questions, under what conditions and procedures of power sharing contribute for durable peace? From the studies they found that countries that implemented closed-list PR electoral systems have shown positive contribution for sustainable peace, providing good service delivery and control corruption in the periods of post conflicts. It has also positive influence to party discipline.

The article presented the related theoretical and empirical studies of power sharing and explained the distinct elements of political power sharing, stress their assumed effects on the governance and peace, supported by the cases like Croatia. In addition to these, they explained the nature of the data, methods, and outcomes, finally they summarized the main arguments of the findings.

III, Data and Methodology the analysis

The authors have investigated the cases, the disaggregate political power sharing, including separate measures for shared legislative quotas, decision-makings, relative appointment for administrative posts, mutual vetoes, and open and closed-list PR electoral systems. The finding shown that convincing causes to expect that executives are connected with weak governance results (page 988). They used different types of regression analysis such as Weibull Regression and Hazard ratio and others estimates to evaluate government effectiveness.

IV, Results from the Cases & the Regressions

Based on cases, from the table (see the annexes table1) we can understand that the longest average peace is economic power sharing and demonstrate a lower failure. Political power sharing is the most regularly practiced while highest failure rate and bottom average duration in the peace building process and the sub-subcomponents clearly shows as it requires great deal to be successful. However, closed-list PR has the highest rate of peace sustaining. Proportional appointments have the lowest success rate, while legislative combinations reveal the shortest average time.

The results of the governance analysis are displayed, closed list PR procedures have the greater role to public good provision and state capacity which satisfy the wellbeing necessities of the population. The overall result proves that governance and closed list PR are very correlated.

V, Conclusion

The authors tried to answer for two study questions. first, stability& peace have been related with electoral system design and negotiation-based on power sharing matters. The finding shows us the distribution of power has encouraged to institution building, coalition and peace-making process through closed-list PR. The second finding shows, power sharing and post conflict stability have strong relationship with relative improvement of quality public service delivery, these also encouraged citizens to work together with the ruling elites.

However, I do have some how different opinion. Power sharing may bring durable peace but there is less likely to promote effective government. As a reviewer I would say that the context of each country cases and the perception of the elites as well as societies matters.