Civic participation in local government
In many former Communist states, such as Kyrgyzstan, years of corruption and curbs on personal freedom have eroded citizens’ trust in their governments. Switzerland promotes democracy through a series of local initiatives.
After a period of rapid advances in the 1990s and the hopes awakened by the Arab Spring in early 2011, nascent democratic ideals have taken a knock in recent years. In its 2015 annual report, Freedom House, an organisation which monitors political rights and civil liberties around the world, noted, for the ninth consecutive year, that freedom is on the decline. The promotion of democracy remains a focus of Swiss international cooperation efforts.
It is not the intention of the SDC to prescribe a uniform model of democratic government. Instead, it seeks to adapt its measures to fit the context in which it works and strives, as far as possible, to improve existing structures. Supporting a country on the road to democracy is a lengthy and complex process that demands a multidimensional approach. This is why the SDC works at all decision-making levels and with many different stakeholders – from individual citizens to civil society organisations, right up to parliaments and government ministers.
Helping people make their voice heard once again
One area in which Switzerland has considerable experience is strengthening decentralisation and democratic practices at local level. Decentralisation refers to the transfer of responsibilities and resources to local and regional authorities. In Kyrgyzstan, the Central Asian country which is furthest along the democratic path, the SDC has been providing support since 2011 to a project that aims to give the population a greater say on local budget issues. The project, which is run by a local NGO, equips citizens to influence decisions on the allocation of funds and hold the authorities to account.
SDC project: Strengthening voice and accountability in Kyrgyz municipalities
Gradual building of trust
The local level offers a particularly good entry point for democracy promotion. Direct contact between the government and the people helps to rebuild public trust. Years of corruption and curbs on personal freedom have caused citizens to lose faith in their government.
A greater say in political life also bolsters the social cohesion of communities. Follow-up surveys show that satisfaction levels with public service delivery were higher among local communities that took part in the project (45% in 2014 compared to 22% at the start of the project).
Participation in the national political debate
The SDC is also committed to political reforms in order to ensure that the national regulatory framework takes account of the progress made at local level. The aim is to foster financial decentralisation in Kyrgyzstan and thereby increase the resources available to local and regional authorities. Thanks to intensive efforts by the SDC at the political level, some 30 amendments to national legislation have been passed. This helps strengthen the decentralisation process and block serious threats to ongoing reforms. In addition to these efforts, SECO funded a Swiss project to increase the transparency of public financial management and the flow of funds between the central government and the local authorities.
