Lack of Political Will Poor plan performance and the wide gap between
plan formulation and plan implementation are also attributable to a lack of
commitment and political will on the part of many developing-country leaders and high-level decision makers.
Political will entails much more than
high-minded purposes and noble rhetoric. It requires an unusual ability and a
great deal of political courage to challenge powerful elites and vested-interest
groups and to persuade them that development is in the long-run interests of
all citizens even though some of them may suffer short-term losses. In the absence of their support, be it freely offered or coerced, a will to develop on the
part of politicians is likely to meet with staunch resistance, frustration, and internal conflict