DOCSLIB.ORG

March 2010 Villagers Committee Elections in Yunnan Province, China

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
March 2010 Villagers Committee Elections in Yunnan Province, China Final Report of the Carter Center Limited Assessment Mission to the March 2010 Villagers Committee Elections in Yunnan Province, China One Copenhill 453 Freedom Parkway Atlanta, GA 30307 (404)420-5100 Fax (404)420-5196 www.cartercenter.org May 2010 The Carter Center Contents Executive Summary . 4 Carter Center Targeted Missions in China . 6 The Carter Center China Program Overview . 6 Past Election Observation Missions . 8 2010 Targeted Mission in Yunnan Province . 9 Villager Committee Election in Hetao Village . 9 Villager Committee Election in Zhongping village . 11 China’s Village Elections and Political Climate in 2010 . 13 Conclusions and Recommendations . 16 Appendices . 18 Appendix A: Carter Center Delegation and Staff . 18 Appendix B: 2010 Village Election Observation Checklist. 19 The Carter Center at a Glance . 23 1 The Carter Center Yunnan Province, The People’s Republic of China Nations United The Source: Area 394000 sq Km Location South-western China GDP RMB 185.57 billion Provincial Capital Kunming Per Capita GDP RMB 4,452 Population 42.88 million Ethnic Groups: Yi, Bai, Hani, Zhuang, Dai, Miao, Lisu, Hui, Lahu, Va, Naxi, Yao, Tibetan, Jing- pos, Blang, Achang, Nu, Primi, Jino, De'ang, Mongolian and Derung. Agriculture: Yunnan's major crops are rice, maize, wheat, tuber crops, peas and beans, rape seed, peanuts, tobacco, tea, cotton, sugar-cane, and fruits. 2 The Carter Center Map of Yunnan Province Yanjin County 3 The Carter Center Executive Summary ne of the most important demo- has worked to help standardize the vast array cratic experiments of the last 25 of electoral procedures taking place in this Oyears has been the movement in new democratic environment and foster bet- more than 600,000 villages across China to- ter governance in local communities. Since ward open, competitive elections, allowing 75 1996, The Carter Center has observed numer- percent of the nation’s 1.3 billion people to ous village elections, provided training to local elect their local leaders. government officials on electoral procedures, and helped conduct a nation-wide survey on For over a decade, at the invitation of the villager self-governance. Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Na- tional People’s Congress, The Carter Center Sean Ding Election officials guarding ballot box after voting in Zhongping Village. March 10, 2010. 4 The Carter Center Current state of village elections sight of and punishment for bribery and other corrupt behavior. In December 2009, the Na- Currently, villager committee elections face tional People’s Congress (NPC) put forth numerous challenges that affect the quality of these suggestions as draft amendments to the village election procedures and the effective- Organic Law. While they continue to face ness of villager self-governance. First, many many challenges, villager committee elections young, educated villagers have migrated to remain the only institution through which cities to take on various jobs, effectively caus- candidates can openly compete and electors ing a brain drain (as well as a drain of would- can experience true electoral choice. be voters) in the countryside. Second, the Chinese government’s momentous decision to Election observation in 2010 eliminate all villager taxes and fees has left villages with no way to raise revenue. Third, At the invitation of the Ministry of Civil Af- in places where village enterprises fairs, The Carter Center will are vibrant, corruption also flou- observe villager committee rishes, with more cases of vote The Carter Center has elections in Yanjin County, buying and voter intimidation. observed numerous Zhaotong Prefecture, Yunnan Lastly, there has been a signifi- Province in March 2010. This village elections, and is the first time the Center has cant policy shift by the Chinese provided training to central government to focus on observed village elections delivery of public goods, but local government offi- since 2005. cials on electoral pro- without allowing villager auton- This observation mission is a omy in managing these goods cedures. rare opportunity for foreign and services, thus causing rising experts to witness the latest resentment. development in China’s expe- In spite of these problems, direct village riment with grassroots democracy. Although committee elections are still held every three The Carter Center was only able to observe years, involving the participation of 900 mil- elections in two villages in its March 2010 lion Chinese villagers. On May 30, 2009, the mission, it continues to monitor villager General Office of the State Council and the committee elections as well as democratic General Office of the Communist Party of reform measures adopted at other levels of the China Central Committee released a circu- government through the China Elections and lar, titled “Strengthening and Improving Vil- Governance (www.chinaelections.org) web lage Committee Elections,” aiming to streng- site. With the increasing awareness of political then the organization and leadership of elec- participation among the Chinese public, The toral activities, standardize election proce- Carter Center believes that villager committee dures, and provide stricter over elections will continue to play an important role in China’s political transformation. 5 The Carter Center Carter Center Targeted Missions in China resident Jimmy Carter made the brave websites offer an online platform for China and momentous decision to normalize watchers and Chinese citizens to deliberate on P relations with China in December the necessity of and means to promote politi- 1978. Since leaving the White House, he has cal transformation in China. The websites, continued to offer his support to China located at www.chinaelections.org (Chinese) through programs working with the disabled. and www.chinaelections.net (English), serve More recently, at the invitation of the Chinese as an online information center for those who government, President Carter, through The monitor, promote or debate political reform Carter Center has provided assistance and ad- in China. It is also the largest free data center vice to Chinese election officials in standardiz- analyzing and reporting on electoral and go- ing village election procedures and fostering vernance innovation. better local governance. Today, while continu- ing to monitor local elections, the program is focused on rural and urban community build- ing, and civic education about rights, laws, Sean Ding and political participation. Advancing Political Reform In addition to conducting voter education and monitoring direct local elections, the program cooperates with Chinese partners to introduce better election procedures and strengthen the capacity of elected deputies to oversee gov- ernment performance. The program has formed close relationships with academic and nongovernmental organizations in China to advance political and social change. Opening Internet Dialogue Web sites sponsored by The Carter Center have become an important portal for political reform in China, engaging large audiences with articles in both Chinese and English. The Election officials pour ballots out of ballot box in Zhongping Village. March 10, 2010. 6 The Carter Center Community Development The Center recognizes that meaningful de- tion, China recently marked a turning point mocracy requires informed and involved citi- toward greater transparency in government zens. To that end, the program works in rural operations. To enhance citizen knowledge of villages, in cooperation with China's Ministry their new rights, the Center has created of Civil Affairs, to expand channels for civic www.chinatransparency.org, an Internet clea- participation and build volunteer corps. In ringhouse including all of the new regulations urban areas, the program works with local and comparative studies of successful access nongovernmental organizations to address the to information practices in other nations. The rights and practical needs of new homeowners. Center also will create exchanges among access to information officials and scholars in Access to Information China. With implementation of new regulations that give citizens access to government informa- Steve Maxwell Liu Yong, 33, candidate for Hetao villager committee chair, delivers campaign speech. March 10, 2010 7 The Carter Center Past Village Election Assessment Missions 1996 Dr. Robert Pastor, Carter Center Fellow, holds intensive meetings with senior officials in the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) on comparative election experiences, visits 3 villages in Shandong province and interviews numerous officials and villagers on village elections. The Carter Center is invited by the Department of Basic Level Governance at the MCA to observe and advise the spring 1997 village committee elections in Fujian province. 1997 A 7-person international delegation led by Dr. Pastor observes village committee elections in Fujian and Hebei provinces and holds discussions in Beijing. 1998 A 9-person team led by Dr. Pastor observes elections in 7 villages and interviews officials of 2 villag- es where elections had just been conducted in Jilin and Liaoning provinces. 1999 Dr. Yawei Liu and Mr. Thomas Crick work with the Times-Warner news tour to observe a villager committee election in Liujiachang Village, Xiantao City, Hubei Province. 2000 At the invitation of the MCA, The Carter Center sends a delegation to observe villager committee (VC) elections in Hebei Province. The delegation is led by Ambassador Gordon L. Streeb,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • (I.) Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and The
    (I.) MEČISLAV BORÁK (Czech Republic) The main features of occupation policy in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and the rest of Protectorate of the Czech Lands Bohemia and When Nazi German troops occupied the interior of the Czech Lands in March 1939, the invasion marked the beginning of over six years of occupation which would last until the final days of the Second World War in Europe. On Moravia and the basis of a decree issued by Hitler, the occupying authorities established an entity named the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia; however, despite its proclaimed autonomy, the Protectorate was in fact entirely controlled by the post-war the German Reich, and the Reich’s actions proved decisive for the fate of the Czech nation. When researching this period, however, we should not neglect the fact that there were other parts of the Czech Lands which lay outside development of the the Protectorate throughout the war, as the Nazis had seized them from Czechoslovakia in the autumn of 1938, before the invasion of what remained of the country. This seizure was a consequence of the Munich Agreement, State – historical which enabled Nazi Germany to annex the border areas in the historical provinces of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia; the Agreement was forced upon the Czechoslovak Republic, and ultimately led to the state’s disintegration overview and demise. In September 1939 the Polish-occupied part of Těšín (Teschen/ Cieszyn) Silesia were taken by Germany; from this point on, the entire territory of the Czech Lands (both the border regions and the interior) came under the direct control of the Third Reich.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sovereignty of the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories in the Brexit Era
    Island Studies Journal, 15(1), 2020, 151-168 The sovereignty of the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories in the Brexit era Maria Mut Bosque School of Law, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Spain MINECO DER 2017-86138, Ministry of Economic Affairs & Digital Transformation, Spain Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, UK [email protected] (corresponding author) Abstract: This paper focuses on an analysis of the sovereignty of two territorial entities that have unique relations with the United Kingdom: the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories (BOTs). Each of these entities includes very different territories, with different legal statuses and varying forms of self-administration and constitutional linkages with the UK. However, they also share similarities and challenges that enable an analysis of these territories as a complete set. The incomplete sovereignty of the Crown Dependencies and BOTs has entailed that all these territories (except Gibraltar) have not been allowed to participate in the 2016 Brexit referendum or in the withdrawal negotiations with the EU. Moreover, it is reasonable to assume that Brexit is not an exceptional situation. In the future there will be more and more relevant international issues for these territories which will remain outside of their direct control, but will have a direct impact on them. Thus, if no adjustments are made to their statuses, these territories will have to keep trusting that the UK will be able to represent their interests at the same level as its own interests. Keywords: Brexit, British Overseas Territories (BOTs), constitutional status, Crown Dependencies, sovereignty https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.114 • Received June 2019, accepted March 2020 © 2020—Institute of Island Studies, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada.
    [Show full text]
  • A Global Comparison of Non-Sovereign Island Territories: the Search for ‘True Equality’
    Island Studies Journal, 15(1), 2020, 43-66 A global comparison of non-sovereign island territories: the search for ‘true equality’ Malcom Ferdinand CNRS, Paris, France [email protected] Gert Oostindie KITLV, the Netherlands Leiden University, the Netherlands [email protected] (corresponding author) Wouter Veenendaal KITLV, the Netherlands Leiden University, the Netherlands [email protected] Abstract: For a great majority of former colonies, the outcome of decolonization was independence. Yet scattered across the globe, remnants of former colonial empires are still non-sovereign as part of larger metropolitan states. There is little drive for independence in these territories, virtually all of which are small island nations, also known as sub-national island jurisdictions (SNIJs). Why do so many former colonial territories choose to remain non-sovereign? In this paper we attempt to answer this question by conducting a global comparative study of non-sovereign jurisdictions. We start off by analyzing their present economic, social and political conditions, after which we assess local levels of (dis)content with the contemporary political status, and their articulation in postcolonial politics. We find that levels of discontent and frustration covary with the particular demographic, socio- economic and historical-cultural conditions of individual territories. While significant independence movements can be observed in only two or three jurisdictions, in virtually all cases there is profound dissatisfaction and frustration with the contemporary non-sovereign arrangement and its outcomes. Instead of achieving independence, the territories’ real struggle nowadays is for obtaining ‘true equality’ with the metropolis, as well as recognition of their distinct cultural identities.
    [Show full text]
  • State of the County March 2, 2021
    STATE OF THE COUNTY MARCH 2, 2021 Delivered by Chairman of the Board, Vito Chiesa 1 Good Morning my fellow members of the Board of Supervisors, CEO Hayes, County Counsel Boze, those who are in the chambers today and those who might be watching on television or over the internet. It is a privilege to present the State of the County Address for 2021. And what a humbling experience this is, during one of the most historic times in the history of our nation and the world. I want to offer thanks to our immediate past chair, former Supervisor Kristin Olsen. Her commitment left us a tremendous example of how to lead. I am also especially thankful for my time having served alongside Supervisor Jim DeMartini. Supervisor DeMartini, served the County selflessly year after year. He was a tireless, committed, and reliable leader with conviction. Supervisor Withrow…Terry, we have sat here together for years and every week I look forward to hearing your passion come through. Your drive to serve people in need - especially those with mental health or homelessness struggles - inspires me. And to the three new Supervisors serving the County, Supervisors Mani Grewal, Channce Condit, and Buck Condit, each of you comes to us with a history of public service and a passion for the community. Thank you for your commitment to the people we serve. I feel honored to serve alongside each of you. This past year saw a tremendous loss with the passing of Supervisor Tom Berryhill. Even if you did not know Tom personally, he was a friend to this community, defending and fighting for our region his entire career.
    [Show full text]
  • A Dictionary of Chinese Characters: Accessed by Phonetics
    A dictionary of Chinese characters ‘The whole thrust of the work is that it is more helpful to learners of Chinese characters to see them in terms of sound, than in visual terms. It is a radical, provocative and constructive idea.’ Dr Valerie Pellatt, University of Newcastle. By arranging frequently used characters under the phonetic element they have in common, rather than only under their radical, the Dictionary encourages the student to link characters according to their phonetic. The system of cross refer- encing then allows the student to find easily all the characters in the Dictionary which have the same phonetic element, thus helping to fix in the memory the link between a character and its sound and meaning. More controversially, the book aims to alleviate the confusion that similar looking characters can cause by printing them alongside each other. All characters are given in both their traditional and simplified forms. Appendix A clarifies the choice of characters listed while Appendix B provides a list of the radicals with detailed comments on usage. The Dictionary has a full pinyin and radical index. This innovative resource will be an excellent study-aid for students with a basic grasp of Chinese, whether they are studying with a teacher or learning on their own. Dr Stewart Paton was Head of the Department of Languages at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, from 1976 to 1981. A dictionary of Chinese characters Accessed by phonetics Stewart Paton First published 2008 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2008.
    [Show full text]
  • Country Report: France
    Country Report: France 2020 Update 2020 Update Acknowledgements & Methodology The 2020 update of this report was written by Laurent Delbos and Claire Tripier at Forum réfugiés – Cosi and edited by ECRE. Forum réfugiés-Cosi wishes to thank all those individuals and organisations who shared their expertise to contribute or check the information gathered during the research. Particular thanks are owed to many Forum réfugiés-Cosi colleagues who have shared their practical experience on the right of asylum in France – which have been key to feed concrete reality-checks and observations into this report; to the two lawyers who have taken the time to share their views on the French system; to the staff of France terre d’asile, the Anafé and the UNHCR Paris office for their expert and constructive feedback provided for the initial report and finally to ECRE for its support throughout the drafting process. Forum réfugiés- Cosi would also like to thank the European Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) for co-financing its awareness-raising missions which allowed us to provide additional time to research and draft this report. The findings presented in this report stem from background desk research, interviews with field practitioners and lawyers, as well as feedback from French NGOs and the Paris-based UNHCR office and finally statistics shared by the French authorities. Caveat: In France, asylum policies – including reception procedures – are largely under prefectural execution. This review of practice is mostly based on observations in the departments of Ile de France, Rhône, Puy-de-Dôme, Haute- Garonne and Alpes-Maritimes. However, the conclusions presented in this report on the concrete implementation of asylum policies have been cross-checked and triangulated with observations of these practices in other regions and are supported by findings presented in other reports – be they official or drafted by civil society organisations.
    [Show full text]
  • Between Winds and Clouds: the Making of Yunnan (Second © 2012 by University Century Bce to Twentieth Century Ce)
    <XQQDQ3HULSKHU\RU&HQWHURIDQ,QWHUQDWLRQDO1HWZRUN" Michael C. Brose China Review International, Volume 17, Number 3, 2010, pp. 305-309 (Article) Published by University of Hawai'i Press DOI: 10.1353/cri.2010.0082 For additional information about this article http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/cri/summary/v017/17.3.brose.html Access provided by Wyoming, Univ of (23 Jun 2014 10:50 GMT) Features 305 To his credit, rather than manufacture a thesis for the book that did not match his evidence, he chose instead simply to present the information he had. Most of the interpretation he does offer is from other scholars. He does not offer his own interpretation beyond tempering the positions of others, or engaging in some limited speculation. It is similar to some of the books of translation he has previ- ously published in which he expects the translated material to speak for itself. This material is important, but it does not speak for itself. Moreover, I would very much like to know the opinions and perspectives of someone who has studied this subject for more than thirty years. I know he has something to say, and I just wish he would be more assertive in saying it. There is only one area in which he has made a serious error, and that is in choosing to use Wade-Giles romanization in the text. While it is certainly true that pinyin is no better than Wade-Giles in representing the Chinese language, it is very much beside the point. The issue is no longer a struggle for dominance between two equal systems.
    [Show full text]
  • Language Management in the People's Republic of China
    LANGUAGE AND PUBLIC POLICY Language management in the People’s Republic of China Bernard Spolsky Bar-Ilan University Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, language management has been a central activity of the party and government, interrupted during the years of the Cultural Revolution. It has focused on the spread of Putonghua as a national language, the simplification of the script, and the auxiliary use of Pinyin. Associated has been a policy of modernization and ter - minological development. There have been studies of bilingualism and topolects (regional vari - eties like Cantonese and Hokkien) and some recognition and varied implementation of the needs of non -Han minority languages and dialects, including script development and modernization. As - serting the status of Chinese in a globalizing world, a major campaign of language diffusion has led to the establishment of Confucius Institutes all over the world. Within China, there have been significant efforts in foreign language education, at first stressing Russian but now covering a wide range of languages, though with a growing emphasis on English. Despite the size of the country, the complexity of its language situations, and the tension between competing goals, there has been progress with these language -management tasks. At the same time, nonlinguistic forces have shown even more substantial results. Computers are adding to the challenge of maintaining even the simplified character writing system. As even more striking evidence of the effect of poli - tics and demography on language policy, the enormous internal rural -to -urban rate of migration promises to have more influence on weakening regional and minority varieties than campaigns to spread Putonghua.
    [Show full text]
  • EAST ASIA Unreached People Groups Prayer & Opportunities List
    EAST ASIA Unreached People Groups Prayer & Opportunities List 2020 Priorities This SCBC resource is made possible through the Cooperative Program of South Carolina Baptist churches. Pictures used are compliments of the International Mission Board. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE UPG NAME POPULATION 3 Western Xiangxi Miao 1,600,000 4 PingDi Yao 1,610,000 5 Cao Miao (Mjuniang) 116,000 6 Central HongshuiHe Zhuang 1,080,000 7 HuiShui Miao 324,000 8 Northern Bai 870.000 9 Jiarong 311,000 10 Gui Bei Zhuang 1,475,000 11 Xiaoliang Shan Nosu 429,000 12 Ambdo Tibetans 1,355.000 13 Lolopo 618,000 READY TO GO? Opportunities exist for Churches to come and serve among these People Groups, doing short term mission trips. If you have interest to learn more about these trips, please contact Robert at: [email protected] Thank you for praying for these Unreached People Groups. GET UPDATES FOR INFO Have you joined Pray52? For information on Missions Text SCGo to 313131 to Partnerships and other resources to receive prayer requests on help your church fulfill the behalf of our SC Great Commission, contact: missionaries and East Asia South Carolina Baptist Convention partners every Wednesday! Missions Mobilization Team (803) 227-6026 e-mail: [email protected] www.scbaptist.org/send WESTERN XIANGXI MIAO Population: 1,600,000 Progress of the Gospel: Engaged but not reached Christianity: Dispersed CP Activity, < 2% reached They are part of the Miao nationality, but they speak a language different from all other Miao groups in China. Their dress and customs are also different.
    [Show full text]
  • Consumer Price Index, Northeast Region – March 2021
    For Release: Tuesday, April 13, 2021 21-680-PHI MID-ATLANTIC INFORMATION OFFICE: Philadelphia, Pa. Technical information: (215) 597-3282 [email protected] www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic Media contact: (215) 861-5600 [email protected] Consumer Price Index, Northeast Region – March 2021 Regional prices up 0.6 percent over the month; up 2.1 percent over the year The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast increased 0.6 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the recent increase reflected advances in the all items less food and energy index (0.5 percent) and the energy index (2.3 percent) since February. The food index also increased over the month, up 0.6 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.) Over the last 12 months, the Northeast all items CPI-U increased 2.1 percent (See chart 1 and table A.) This reflected an advance in the all items less food and energy index, up 1.3 percent. The energy index and the food index also rose since March 2020, up 9.9 and 3.3 percent, respectively. (See table 1.) Food The food index increased 0.6 percent since February. Prices were higher for both food away from home and food at home, up 1.0 and 0.3 percent, respectively. From March 2020 to March 2021, the food index increased 3.3 percent. Prices for food away from home increased over the year, up 4.5 percent; those for food at home also rose, up 2.5 percent.
    [Show full text]
  • 46040-003: Yunnan Pu'er Regional
    Social Monitoring Report 4th Annual Report Project Number: 46040-003 March 2020 PRC: Yunnan Pu’er Regional Integrated Road Network Development Project Prepared by Science and Technology Consulting and Development Center of Yunnan University for the Yunnan Pu’er Municipal Government and the Asian Development Bank This social monitoring report is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB’s Board of Director, Management or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. ADB Loan Yunnan Pu’er Regional Integrated Road Network Development Project (RRP PRC 46040) Monitoring and Performance Evaluation Report for Ethnic Minority Development Plan and Gender Action Plan Science and Technology Consulting and Development Center of Yunnan University March 2020 Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................. 1 1.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW .................................................................................. 1 1.2 OBJECTIVES OF PROJECT DESIGN .............................................................. 10 1.3 OBJECTIVES OF PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND MONITORING .................... 20 1.4 METHODS OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION ...........................................
    [Show full text]
  • The UK Caribbean Overseas Territories, New Labour, and the Strengthening of Metropolitan Control Caribbean Studies, Vol
    Caribbean Studies ISSN: 0008-6533 [email protected] Instituto de Estudios del Caribe Puerto Rico Clegg, Peter The UK caribbean overseas territories, new labour, and the strengthening of metropolitan control Caribbean Studies, vol. 34, núm. 1, enero-junio, 2006, pp. 131-161 Instituto de Estudios del Caribe San Juan, Puerto Rico Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=39211247005 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative THE UK CARIBBEAN OVERSEAS TERRITORIES... 131 THE UK CARIBBEAN OVERSEAS TERRITORIES, NEW LABOUR, AND THE STRENGTHENING OF METROPOLITAN CONTROL Peter Clegg ABSTRACT The article analyses the complex and ever-evolving relationship between Britain and its Overseas Territories in the Caribbean. Links between Britain and its Territories have been shaped and determined by particular historical, constitutional, political and economic trends. For many years the relationship between the Territories and the UK was rather ad hoc—a situation that can be traced back to the compromises, fudges and deals char- acteristic of ‘pragmatic’ British colonial administration. More recently, however, there have been attempts by the Labour government in Britain to overcome the informal nature of the relationship and to develop a new partnership based on mutual obligations and responsibilities. The article describes the appli- cations of this more pro-active and coherent level of oversight and highlights how the principle of more forceful metropolitan control has taken hold. The article asserts that the Territories are now much more heavily integrated into the international system, having adopted either willingly or unwillingly a number of changes to their political, economic and social structures.
    [Show full text]