LOCAL GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS: A CASE STUDY OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA,PAKISTAN AND XINJIANG,CHINA LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

Abstract

Local government, universally, has always remained supporting inputregarding the development process at grass root level. According to the majority of studies on decentralization in thedeveloping nations, the ineffectiveness of decentralization is being caused by an insufficient local government framework, ineffective implementation and lack of funds, as a result local service delivery has been affected while grassroots level of democracy remains un-strengthened. This comparative research evaluates Local Government Systems of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China to analyze the capability and efficiency in the two local government systems in term of public services provision and devolution of power to grass root level. The two systems have comparisons as well as contrasts because of working under the universal concept of local government however in fundamentally different political, social and economic configurations. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa places a premium on democratic representation and the devolution of power to local authorities whereas Xinjiang places a premium on stability and reflects tight central control. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local government system experiences issues like inconsistency, capacity building, frequent changes and issues in resource allocation in contrast to Xinjiang local government system. Variations in service delivery, accountability, and citizen engagement have been caused by these factors and divergent methods.