{"id":30201,"date":"2021-02-05T07:48:52","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T03:48:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/?p=30201"},"modified":"2021-02-05T07:48:52","modified_gmt":"2021-02-05T03:48:52","slug":"some-legislatures-have-held-governments-to-account-during-covid-19-but-not-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/some-legislatures-have-held-governments-to-account-during-covid-19-but-not-all\/","title":{"rendered":"Some legislatures have held governments to account during Covid-19. But not all"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"11847\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/what-happens-to-your-facebook-account-and-your-email-messages-when-you-die\/the-conversation\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/The-Conversation-e1535448713758.jpg?fit=400%2C41&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"400,41\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"The Conversation\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/The-Conversation-e1535448713758.jpg?fit=640%2C65&amp;ssl=1\" class=\" wp-image-11847 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/The-Conversation-e1535448713758.jpg?resize=176%2C18&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"176\" height=\"18\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong>By Nic Cheeseman &amp; <a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/rebecca-gordon-1199687\" rel=\"author\"><span class=\"fn author-name\">Rebecca Gordon<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"30202\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/some-legislatures-have-held-governments-to-account-during-covid-19-but-not-all\/distribution\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/distribution.jpg?fit=1200%2C684&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1200,684\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"distribution\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/distribution.jpg?fit=640%2C365&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-30202\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/distribution.jpg?resize=640%2C365&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/distribution.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/distribution.jpg?resize=300%2C171&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/distribution.jpg?resize=1024%2C584&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/distribution.jpg?resize=768%2C438&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><strong>Brazil\u2019s Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello at a press conference about the distribution of nearly 6 million doses of a vaccine.\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"source\">Photo by Rodrigo Paiva\/Getty Images<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The coronavirus pandemic has gone hand-in-hand with considerable democratic backsliding. According to a new study, democratic freedoms were undermined in 83 countries from March to September 2020. This should concern all of us. Oversight and accountability during the COVID-19 pandemic are essential for both the public and democratic health of a nation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We set out to explore the role that legislatures played in responding to COVID-19. In particular, we looked at how they scrutinised governments\u2019 actions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Legislatures are central to modern democratic politics. But they are often bypassed during moments of crisis as presidents and prime ministers prioritise a rapid response. This is true for both established democracies and new democracies in which political institutions are still strengthening.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">COVID-19 has raised particular challenges for legislatures. For example, social distancing requirements have made it harder for them to sit as usual. On the other hand, the longevity of the crisis has created more time for legislative scrutiny.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">To investigate, a group of researchers developed the \u201cLegislative Responses to COVID-19 Tracker\u201d. We also conducted case studies on the legislatures\u2019 response in Brazil, Nepal and Ukraine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The tracker monitored legislative responses to COVID-19 for 65 countries along three key indicators:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">whether the legislature sat;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">whether there was legislative oversight of the initial response from 1 March to 1 May 2020; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">whether legislatures had opportunities for ongoing oversight from 1 April to 1 September 2020.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The report shows that, between 1 March and 1 June 2020, the innovative use of technology played a key role in enabling 52% of legislatures to sit regularly, and 35% to sit irregularly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">However, almost a third of legislatures had no direct oversight over the government\u2019s initial response from 1 March to 1 May 2020. This is important, because effective legislative scrutiny helped to constrain unnecessarily heavy-handed approaches in some cases. In others it prompted the government to take action where it had been slow to respond.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Legislative responses<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There are two different \u2013 though not mutually exclusive \u2013 explanations for the differences in the extent of legislative oversight. One is the pre-existing strength of democratic institutions. The other is the disruptive impact of the pandemic in low technology legislatures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In most cases, lower scores on our tracker reflected lower legislative effectiveness scores prior to the pandemic. One example of this was in Algeria.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Similarly, countries with higher tracker scores generally featured higher levels of scrutiny pre-pandemic, such as Belgium and Botswana.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">But this was not always the case. Despite low parliamentary effectiveness scores pre-pandemic, the Democratic Republic of Congo\u2019s legislature voted on multiple extensions of the state of emergency and set up a COVID-19 commission. This created opportunities to monitor the government\u2019s response.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">On the other hand, there were also cases where the pandemic significantly disrupted pre-existing practices because legislatures lacked the capacity to meet virtually, or were prohibited from doing so.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Nepal is one example. The country is usually rated as having mid-level legislative effectiveness. But a provision requiring legislators to meet in person meant that when the government did not recall parliament, virtual parliamentary sittings were impossible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In these cases, social distancing requirements undermined the potential for oversight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The type of legislation with which governments responded to the crisis was also important. Three main responses were possible:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">introducing new COVID-specific legislation;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">using existing legislation that addressed infectious diseases and pandemics; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">using states of emergency.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The scope for legislative oversight tended to be reduced where outdated legislation was used or states of emergency were introduced.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>The importance of legislative leadership<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Legislative committees emerged as an important mechanism of oversight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In Brazil, the decree of public calamity required oversight committees to be formed. In Nepal and Ukraine it was easier to adapt committee meetings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In Ukraine, amended legislation enabled virtual committee meetings. Given the difficulties of virtual meetings in Nepal, the smaller number of legislators within committees made it easier to avoid breaking quarantine restrictions and to maintain social distancing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In Brazil, the committees established to monitor the COVID-19 response worked effectively to oversee executive actions on medicines and ventilators. They also played an important role in ensuring transparency of government information. For example, they set up a parallel system of counting cases of the disease and consequent deaths.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In cases where committee meetings \u2013 or plenary sessions \u2013 were reduced there were fewer routes to oversight. Time pressures and the need to make decisions quickly and via new digital processes also reduced space for oversight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This had two important consequences, even where legislatures remained active. First, it concentrated opportunities for legislative leadership in the hands of party leaders. Second, it meant that legislatures heard evidence from, and engaged with, a narrower group of experts, advisers and concerned parties.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Fixing systemic problems<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Challenges of oversight and inclusivity are not simply the product of the pandemic. Many reflect a deeper and pre-existing lack of accountability and inclusivity. Underlying institutional weaknesses need to be addressed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">There are four key areas we consider to be priorities. These are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">the technological capacity of legislatures to meet remotely and inclusively;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">legislative regulations that allow parliaments to sit during crises;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">legislative committees\u2019 access to administrative support and technical expertise; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">dedicated crisis committees with senior leadership and established rules and protocols that can become quickly operational.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">All these require resources. It is therefore critical to keep funding legislative strengthening programmes. In the time of COVID-19, it will be tempting to switch money out of democracy and governance activities and into health budgets. But stronger legislatures will enable us to build back better after the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><strong>Nic Cheeseman<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nProfessor of Democracy,<br \/>\nUniversity of Birmingham<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><strong>Rebecca Gordon<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nResearch Fellow in Leadership for Inclusive<br \/>\nand Democratic Politics,<br \/>\nUniversity of Birmingham<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #008080;\">* Published in print edition on 5 February 2021<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; By Nic Cheeseman &amp; Rebecca Gordon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":30202,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8348],"tags":[27842,2835,22005,27387,27843,17359,3345,14864,27844,17521],"class_list":["post-30201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-conversation","tag-belgium","tag-brazil","tag-covid-19","tag-nepal","tag-nic-cheeseman","tag-pandemic","tag-public-accountability","tag-public-health","tag-rebecca-gordon","tag-the-conversation"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/distribution.jpg?fit=1200%2C684&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8QzSF-7R7","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/139"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}