Editorial
More than half the council of advisers overseas!
High demand on their time at home
WE don't want to make too much about it but it has drawn our attention. At this point in time, as many as six advisers holding charge of 12 important ministries, are away on official tours abroad. We wish the simultaneous absence of so many advisers from the capital city could be explained away as some awkward coincidence. The very fact that such a big number of government functionaries thought alike to be in a jet-set mode leaving their desks for varying time spans at the fag end of their tenure may be construed as cavalier attitude. They may have had some compelling calls of duty to respond to, but in public perception, when half of the cabinet chooses to be on an odyssey, attention to governance and policy issues under their watch is likely to be affected.
Neither by definition, nor by commitment, nor in terms responsibilities undertaken by them, the interim caretaker government at the final stages of its tenure can look upon itself as a lame duck government, far less act like one. In fact, the CTG is at the climatic phase of its tenure. Wide-ranging institutional reforms have got underway and this is the time to set the implementation processes on course. The world is moving forward and looking closely at how we are faring in meeting the MDGs. Then holding the government together in effective working conditions while the juggernaut of the elections start moving is an integral part of the transitional responsibilities the government must be in a position to fulfi1.
While we are on the topic, let's point out that a single adviser has under his or her charge more than one ministry, so that not only has the person concerned been torn between ministries but predictably remained unfocussed on the priorities of his or her tasks. Some important ministries have genuinely suffered from lack of leadership and a clear sense of direction. Now that an administrative shakeup is on across the board, it's all the more important that any laid-back attitude of advisers does not rock the boat of administration at this juncture.
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