Regimes that Obstruct: A Problem of Institutional Refurbishment Following Internal Conflict

Abstract

Analysis of recovery from internal conflict has neglected difficult, but evident, problems of regime resistance to refurbishment of state institutions. How widespread is such resistance, what are its causes and how might it be remedied? Frequently the problem is attributed to ‘lack of political will’ but that generality raises more questions than answers. This article investigates manifestations of regime resistance to institutional refurbishment, how they buttress the pursuit of private interest to the detriment of collective need, and the difficult challenges confronting reform processes whether driven by internal political demand or forms of external assistance. The thesis advanced is that institutional refurbishment within states recovering from internal conflict is critically dependent on intermediate relationships that evolve between ruling authorities and their publics. Here the organization and management of public grievances is critical.

Keywords:

• internal conflict
• regime obstruction of post-conflict recovery
• institutional reform
• public grievances

Acknowledgements

For their helpful comments on previous drafts, the author thanks Beth Greener, Jenny Pearce, Lina Gonzalez, Klaus Schlichte, Kledja Mulaj, Richard Jackson and two anonymous reviewers.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on Contributor

Roderic Alley is Senior Fellow at the Centre for Strategic Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, and has published previously in the field of internal conflict and international relations. ([email protected])