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2.3 Citizen Participation As argued by Punyaratabandhu 2004 and Rose 2004, the concept of citizen
participation in democratisation context cannot be separated from the concept of good governance. Thus, it is essential to get understanding about the broader theoretical
perspective by explaining good governance as a background of citizen participation, particularly in developing countries context.
2.3.1 Good Governance
The concept of good governance is increasingly used in many development literatures Punyaratabandhu 2004; UNESCAP 2009. Governance is defined as
‘a complex system of interactions among structures, traditions, functions responsibilities and processes
practices characterized by three key values of accountabilities, transparency and participation
’ Punyaratabandhu 2004:1 or ‘exercise of authority and control in a society in relation to the management of its resources for social and economic
development’ Schneider 1999:7.
As declared by Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the United Nations, good governance is essential for prot
ecting citizens’ rights and advancing both economic and social development Kim et al. 2005 in Waheduzzaman 2008. Furthermore, good
governance assures that minorities’ views are taken into account; the most vulnerable
voices to be heard in decision-making, and corruption to be minimised UNESCAP 2009. In view of this, some scholars define good governance in a simple way as the
level of quality of government performance, good public engagement, and good outcomes Hye 2000 in Waheduzzaman 2008; OPM CIPFA 2004; Arko-cobbah
2006. The United Nations Development Program, Overseas Development Administration and
Asian Development Bank have all identified four main components of good governance which are considered major principles to ensure good governance: participation,
highlighting the citizen involvement in decision-making; accountability, referring to making public officials answerable for government behavior and responsive to public
’s needs; transparency, suggesting free flow of information; and rule of
law legitimacypredictability, impliying the existence of fair and impartially enforced
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legal framework Turner Hulme 1997; Waheduzzaman 2007 in Waheduzzaman 2008; Uddin Joya 2007.
2.3.2 Participation as a Central Foundation of Good Governance
