1 The Bulgarian Legal Framework for Citizen Participation

4 Anwar Shah

primary focus on specific public works,the dependence ofthe participants on the mayor’s office,the role oflong-term planning within participatory budgeting,the emphasis on local issues and local public policies,and the danger that participatory budgeting programs may be manipulated due to the central role played by the mayor’s office.Participatory budgeting programs are,in Wampler’s words,“an important step toward political inclusion and greater social justice,but they are by no means a magic bullet.”

In chapter 2 Donald Moynihan examines the prospects for citizen participation in developing countries,with a focus on participation in the budget process.Citizen participation refers to citizens or citizen representatives (who are not elected officials) interacting with and providing feedback to government at the policy formulation or implementation stages of governance.Four interrelated arguments support the rise ofpublic participation:postmodern discourse theory,disillusionment with bureaucracy,the search for a democratic ideal,and the particular need for participation in a developing-country context.From these arguments,Moynihan gleans two basic criteria for participation forums:participation should be broadly representative ofthe population,and it should involve meaningful dialogue that affects public decision making.Based on a review ofparticipation in Poverty Reduction Strategy Processes,he concludes that participation in developing countries often fails to meet these criteria.

The cases reviewed in chapter 2 demonstrate a variety ofways in which participation can shape resource allocation,budget execution,and performance evaluation.One ofthe lessons is the importance ofcivil society indeveloping-country settings.In most ofthe cases,a nongovernmental organization (NGO) or group ofNGOs undertook analysis ofthe budget. These NGOs seek to represent the poor and disseminate their views to the government.They do not offer direct citizen participation,but without their involvement,the prospects for any type ofparticipation would be reduced. Even in Porto Alegre,Brazil,where citizen involvement is most direct,an active civil society aided the process ofcitizen involvement.Organizing citizen involvement,or simply analyzing public budgets,depends a good deal on NGOs and their capacity.

Another major lesson is the importance ofgovernment attitudes toward participation.Ifthe goal ofparticipation is to have an impact on public sector decisions,then pro-participation arguments must understand the perspective ofgovernment and how it influences whether they are supportive ofparticipation and willing to listen to public feedback.Understanding theadministrative perspective raises the question ofhow participation canbe fostered when the government is hostile to it.The cases discussed