Emergencies are fluid. Things change constantly and rapidly and, on many occasions, for the worse. In the current crisis the world is facing, government leaders are struggling with the alarming rate by which the problems related to the COVID-19 outbreak escalate. Hence, the question of the hour — does the current health emergency warrant additional government powers?
This relatively new experience has caught most if not all governments dangerously ill-prepared to manage the simultaneous issues of containing the outbreak, responding to direct health concerns among the infected population, and managing the economic and social impact of emergency measures. Those that have prepared contingency plans are discovering that these are not sufficient and that new strategies have to in place. For some, this would require new and more vigorous policies, or simply put — emergency powers.
But people have an inherent apprehension about emergency powers. And there are historical pieces of evidence where emergency powers were abused. Some say that these fears are unfounded, and they are nothing more than the natural by-product of political and ideological differences.
Whether there are real causes of concern or not, the fact remains that there are concerns and governments should at least consider and attend to these concerns when they request for additional powers.
It comes without saying that calling for emergency powers is an admission of inadequacy. And this is another area of debate that fuels people’s apprehension. Has the government exhausted all means and resources at its disposal? Couldn’t the government come up with creative or innovative ways to achieve their goals with existing policies? Have they tried hard enough to find a solution, or are they looking for the easy way out?
Then there is this very important question — Can the government guarantee success in managing the crisis should they be given the emergency powers?
In light of the realities of this global threat, emergency powers may indeed have some solid justifications, especially considering that the definite best practice in preventing the further spread of the virus is a substantial quarantine measure or a community lockdown. In such an extreme action, there are clear restrictions that impact socio-economic activities, which, in turn, has a domino effect on everything else. Because these actions affect everybody, the government may need the extra muscle to keep things in order and to move in the direction that benefits the whole country.
The COVID-19 crisis is nothing like what we have experienced in the past. There are no clear experts as to how best to manage this. And in the interest of time, perhaps it is better to act than be caught up in too much debate and discussions. But we also need to look at the long-term when life goes back to normal, and there is ample time to review decisions and actions.
Let us keep an open mind and not be blinded by our differences. And while we extend our trust and confidence in our leaders, let us remain vigilant and voice out our concerns to keep them in check. This is our privilege and our responsibility as resilient citizens.
