From Protagonist to Pragmatist? :Political Leadership in Societies in Transition

UU Press Release: Skilled Political Leadership vital for Peace Process, says INCORE Report
9th April 2001

Skilled political leadership in Northern Ireland is vital to the success of the Peace Process, according to a new report from the University of Ulster's INCORE research institute.

Deepening tensions between politicians and a civil service unused to local political supervision could undermine the day-to-day working of the Assembly and the civil service, says report author Cathy Gormley-Heenan, who interviewed political leaders in Northern Ireland, Israel and South Africa during her research.

The report, called 'From Protagonist to Pragmatist: Political Leadership in Societies in Transition' focuses on the changing nature and challenges facing political leaders in societies in transition, and looks at developments in Northern Ireland, Israel/Palestine and South Africa.

Researcher Cathy Gormley-Heenan, said: "The challenges and issues facing the leadership in the post-agreement phase of any peace process can be as problematic as those faced during negotiations. Unless handled with care and attention, these issues may also have the potential to derail the process."

Unlike the more widely reported stumbling blocks, such as decommissioning, demilitarisation and police reform, she added, her research found that the political leaders were also concerned with possible uses and abuses of political power, their relationships with other party leaders, the dynamic with the civil service and the possibility of imminent elections.

"With the UK general election and local elections now scheduled for early June, the possible destabilising influence of 'electoral politics' at critical junctures in the peace process needs to be acknowledged since elections have a tendency to promote political intergroup tensions. Even the threat of an election can force the leadership to take a less conciliatory approach to issues than sometimes expected," said Ms Gormley-Heenan.

Attitudes towards the Civil Service during transition have proved interesting, especially in light of the recent row between Assembly members and civil servants over government procedures. Ms Gormley-Heenan said, "I was not surprised to learn of the leaked civil service memo in February 2001, which pointed to tensions over the role of the civil servants. Our research had already indicated at an early stage the fears within some political circles that the civil service did not want to relinquish the control which it had maintained over departments and areas during direct-rule. In light of this, there is an absolute need for a specific programme of transition in Northern Ireland to promote a joint understanding of the civil service and its roles and structures for the political players, and vice-versa."