Is our democracy working?
The writers of our constitution merely copied Westminster paying little heed to the need for developing further checks and balances to allow the democratic institutions to evolve and take root. Remember England has a system that is fully in motion having evolved over centuries.
We, on the other hand, have to start a new system.
As any mechanical engineer will be able to tell our learned controllers of thought, the laws of motion tell us that starting up a system is harder than maintaining the momentum of a system that is already running. We have to jump start the democratic system and then try to warm up the engine so that it will maintain its momentum.
As our friendly mechanical engineer will tell us, this requires considerable power and careful monitoring. You cannot just turn the ignition of election once and have a perfectly working system. Other safeguards and perhaps continuous and rapid ignition thrusts may be required. For example, might not quick, annual elections for, say ten years at least, enforce more responsible behavior from the politicians.
And could more constitutional amendments not be made to introduce a variety of checks and balances that seek to distribute power and not concentrate it, for concentration of power is indeed corrupting.
Historical evidence has shown:
- Time and again we have seen that elections, as currently conducted, return the same individuals that have pillaged the country both in our democratic and non-democratic periods.
- Elections alone, have failed to produced responsible or even itnelligent government. The methods of government, the law books, and the institutions remain unchanged whether we have democracy or not. Success has not been achieved after many attempts at jump-starting.
- The engine of democracy is clogged by a legislature that time and again involves itself not with its principal task of legislation but with personal aggrandisment and childish games.
Perhaps, it is time we learnt from our learned mechanical engineer.
Let us carefully look at our design of democracy and see how we can alter it to achieve a democratic outcome and not just observe democratic form.
Let us seek to better define democracy and that which we want from democracy. Having defined the term and our objectives, let us consider the best means available to achieve those objectives. Only thus might it be possible to foster the development of an elected leadership more interested in delivering democracy and our society’s objectives to us than in lining their pockets.
Might not a debate on the modalities produce a better design for democracy?
Our elected representative such as they are have begun to debate an amendment. What surprises me is why are our intellectuals silent on this important issue? So Please tell me what amendments to the constitution would you like to see.
Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque was the former head of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economists (PIDE).
Apart from reverting the name, hudood ord., etc. etc…
1. Use the Urban dictionary, enough with Oxford
I’d much rather read it in plain simple terms rather than some convoluted law-speak delivered in sentences that never seem to end. Language that requires a tilt of the head and what the hell does that mean!
2. Use a URL Shortener, they’re FREE!!!
Nobody has time to read the constitution or for that matter teach it in class to young ones who can barely listen to a full song before skipping to the next one. Abridged versions that are simple and to the point for teaching in class are an absolute must.
3. Put it up on iTunes, though it’ll probably never sell
Rap it, audio book it, make singles, do whatever it takes to make it interesting. Kids should realize that it is an important document worth a look at least once. If they can watch Wall-e (yes… I don’t like it) they should be able to go through this.
Note to Admin: Would you mind doing a poll on how many , if any, have actually ‘willingly’ read any or part of the constitution. Would be fun (sad) to compare the results from Facebook and ATP.
I agree with you with all what you have said above. I think first we need to change the name of the country from ISLAMIC Republic of Pakistan to just Republic of Pakistan. Make it a secular state, and let me be clear here, secular does not mean no religion, it means freedom of religion, where everybody is free to practice and live according to their believes. Separate the state from the religion. I like your example of engine above, being an IT person, adding to the analogy above, I firmly believe that we need to RESTART Pakistan just like we need to boot our Windows machine every now and then.
We need to end the feudal system, take away the power from the few powerful in our county in who’s hand is the fate of all of the people living in the country. One thing that really bothers my about our people is that they crticize everybody, jews, christians, hidus western world and who ever they can think is above them at the same time we are expecting from these entities to do something for us. Why? why are we expecting from them, I was watching TV and one of the very famous female actor from Karachi, was showing her anger and her liberalism. She made a comment which bothered me. She said that if a white person died the the white people or the Western world make a huge issue out of it, contrary to that if a person of any other race dies, then there is no issue. My questions is, why a white powerful person will care any thing about the rest of brown, yellow or any other race for this matter. And, why a brown person does not far cry and make an issue when it’s own kind is dead or facing miseries. We need to look into ourselves, the rest of the world is way ahead of us, and yet we still are stuck in the memories of our glorious past the most ridiculous present with no end is site. We just know how to say that Pakistan is a great nation, we make big statements about ourselves, but the truth of the matter is we are nothing now. I know that I am being very critical of us here, but I think somebody has to. We are not living as a nation we are crowed of people living together. I want to write so much more to this effect, I think I will stop here for now, I know there will be some “Jazbati” people who will be reading my comments and gonna reply back in very “Jazbati” way to my straight forwards comments. After all we are now only just left with “Jazbat” and nothing more.
Yes, start be repealing all the amendments and then if the parliament things right it can start reinstating some of them. But lets start from there.
Here is an article you can read; http://www.aajkal.com.pk/news/2009/7/11/editorial_ n4.jpg
I think we should just revert to original 1973 constitution as it was and start from there. Reinventing everything will be as much of a mess as the current constitution has become a mess.