Micronesian Governments: a View from a View from Outside

Hezel, Francis X.; Billen, Wehns (2005-04-01). [www.micsem.org Micronesian Governments: a View from a View from Outside]. Micronesian Counselor (Report). Kolonia, Pohnpei: Micronesian Seminar. pp. 1–10.

• Has attachment: File:G45SEGNS.pdf

Abstract: Some months ago Transparency International, working through the Australian National University and with funding provided by the AusAID program, produced a series of country reports on good governance in the Pacific. This series, published in 2004, included papers on the Republic of Palau (ROP), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Each was done by an outside consultant contracted specifically to produce a single country report.

The purpose of the study was to assess the good governance in each nation, albeit from an outsider’s point of view. The hope was to be able to produce an objective and balanced view of the progress that each nation is making toward good governance, with emphasis on its strengths as well as its problems. Even though these reports make frequent use of the word “corruption,” they point to positive steps taken by the governments to check abuse and ensure fair governance. The reports are produced by individuals who do not have the intimate knowledge of the local situation that a well in- formed citizen might possess. This, of course, can be both a help and a hindrance.

In this article I have tried to present a summary of the most important points of these reports, drawing on all three while organizing them by common headings. (The numbers in parentheses refer to the page numbers in the original documents.) Even if some of the force of the original may be lost, my hope is that this presentation might make the contents of the original reports more digestible and readable. In keeping with our policy at MicSem to focus on issues rather than individuals, I have edited out some of the details that might betray the identity of persons mentioned by name in the original. At the same time, I have added comments where I felt that these were appropriate...