Generally accepted criteria for good governance

Government abide by rule of law and observation of the rule of law

• No one is above the law.
• All are equal before the eyes of law.
• No innocent could be punished.
• Provision of natural justice and dispensation justice.
• Independent judiciary.
• Free, fair and logical decision of the court.
• Right of appeal and review.
• Effective execution of decision.
• Effective action towards abuse of authority.
• Prompt and inexpensive judicial administration.
• Protection of civil rights, etc.

Effective checks and balances to prevent abuse of authority—fair and free function of three organs of government.

Free and fair press.

Right to information.

Fiscal discipline.

• Eradication of corruption, exploitation and discrimination on any based.
• It believes on the principle that “rule is better solution than gun.”

Improving public sector accountability

• There should be constraints on government’s discretionary power.
• Accountability, in a fair and equitable manner, should focus in all political parties equally.
• Public awareness and community initiatives should be encouraged to look into corruption and abuse of authority.
• A stronger tie should be developed between civil society and the government.
• The accountability process should be independent of the government.
• So accountability has been defined as “the obligations of persons or entities including public enterprises and corporations, entrusted with public resources to be answerable for the fiscal, managerial and program responsibilities that have been conferred on them and to those that have conferred these responsibilities on them.

Transparency

• Declaration of wealth should be required for all those in government.
• Media should be independent and trained to look into government dealings.
• Access to information in government should be increased.
• Ordinary citizen should have access to information so they could be vigilant.
• Transparent budget from bottom to the top.

Comprehensive participation from local to center

• Awareness to local unit, its active participations.
• To confer some legal rights to local units and more administrative and political rights.
• Not decentralization (power conferred by discretion) but devolution of powers (power conferred in accordance to policy and by formulation of law.

Free and Fair election

• Assertive and independent election commission.
• Election law should limit campaign spending.
• Electoral process and practices, public voices and participations should be wide under legitimate political order.
• Participation of civil society to educate voters for free and fair election.

Equal opportunity based on merit and free competition.

Development of fair and democratic culture.

Strong civil society

• To point out and shoot the problems.
• To prepare active and sound public opinion
• To create institutional commitment, to pressure, monitor and to feedback government programs, policies and activities.
• Civil society as ‘public watch dog’ plays an important role in the body politic in the modern context.

Active and sound bureaucracy

Moral and charismatic leadership

Maintenance of integrity in all sectors from public to private and Government Organizations to NGOs and INGOs.