Citizen participation as a tool for creating an effective e-Governance system in Iraq

Authors:
Paiman Ahmad, University of Raparin, Rania-Sulaimania-Kurdistan Region-Iraq; Tishk International University, International Relations & Diplomacy, Faculty of Administrative Sciences & Economics, Erbil- Kurdistan Region -Iraq

Abstract:

In a resource abundant environment, the people of Iraq have no right in the governance system. Thus, Iraq faces significant challenges in E-governance. In order to enhance E-governance and transparency in Iraq there is a need for creating an E-governance system that can motivate citizen participation in governance in the long-run. Citizen participation is not effective, similar to the case of many other resource-rich countries in the Middle East and Africa. Since 2003, the Iraqi government has tried to tackle transparency, open governance, e-elections and e-governance; however, it failed. The failure may be attributed to different factors but the most crucial and influential one is lack of citizen participation. If people nurture E-governance, their collective effort will support government’s effort in building a strong E-governance system. The main question for this study is; how can citizen participation contribute in nurturing E-governance in the case of Iraq? This study outlines the role of effective citizen participation in creating E-governance in Iraq; this is a quantitative study Primary data collected from 100 participants was analyzed for this purpose. This study is composed of three main parts; the first part highlights theoretical perspective of E-governance in Iraq, and citizen participation. The second part focuses on discussing the data on e-governance. The final session of this study deals with the findings, and conclusions.

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Publication:

Central and Eastern European e|Dem and e|Gov Days 2019

Cyber Security and eGovernment
Proceedings of the Central and Eastern European E|Dem and E|Gov Days, May 2-3, 2019, Budapest
Facultas, 1. Ed., 536 p.
ISBN: 978-3-7089-1898-3,
ISBN: 978-3-903035-24-9

Editors: András Nemeslaki, Alexander Prosser, Dona Scola, Tamás Szádeczky