The recipe for good governance

I refer to the commentary “Does democracy lead to good governance?” (July 17). I believe that good governance follows this particular approach: A well-distributed balance between meritocracy, democracy and authoritarianism based on a country’s changing needs.

Democracy alone does not lead to good governance, but is essential to ensure that everyone is given a voice in all the important issues.

A country also needs to have meritocracy to elect the best people. And some force is needed (authoritarianism) to push forward the best plan, designed by intelligent people (meritocracy) and supported by the majority of the representatives (democracy).

It is important to note that no plan is supported by all the people; there will always be unhappiness, for many personal reasons.

The weakness of democracy alone is that precious time and resources may be wasted on trying to appease people, whether they are ignorant or not, often at the expense of the bigger picture and benefits.

An example was given in the article: “In India, widening a two-lane road could incite popular protests and be tied up in court for years.”

All options come with a price, such as unrest and displeasure.

If everyone could come to a common understanding, the price may not be big but must still be paid, or the reality is there would not be significant progress.

Another ingredient in good governance is trust; it is by trust that the world moves, trade occurs and prosperity arrives.

Without building up fragile trust, more time and effort will be wasted on second-guessing, which would slow down progress in a country or organisation.

Trust is needed especially when the fruits of labour take time to be seen, and the process is usually harsh.

It is much like the way a farmer must patiently endure months of hard work and pain before the harvest. Before that day arrives, he is also at the mercy of luck and nature.

In summary, good governance takes meritocracy, democracy and authoritarianism, as well as trust and time to glue them together.