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Source: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=96774
Arab Regimes Are Failing
[Daily Star-Lebanon] Khalil Gebara - A close look at recently released indices of development can help explain why the Arab world is undergoing serious political, economic, and social crises. According to the World Bank's Good Governance Indicators, Arab countries received 24% for degree of voice and accountability and 45% for "government effectiveness." By contrast, OECD countries scored an average of 91% for the first indicator and 89% for the second. The 2008 Failed State Index included 20 states in the first group, four of which are Arab (Sudan, Iraq, Somalia, and Lebanon). The second group of failed states included Egypt, Yemen, and Syria. The writer is president of the Lebanese Organization for the Enhancement of Transparency and secretary general of Arab Parliamentarians Against Corruption.