Democracy and Power Sharing

• This chapter resumes the analysis of democracy
• Explores how power is shared in a democracy
• Study cases will include Belgium and Sri Lanka

Intelligent Power Sharing

• Intelligent power sharing in a democracy includes Legislature, Executive and Judiciary
• Intelligent power sharing is important to the design of a democracy

Belgium and Sri Lanka

• Belgium is a small European country bordering France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg
• Belgium's population is a little over one crore, about half the population of Haryana
• The ethnic composition of Belgium is complex

Belgium's Ethnic Composition:

• 59% live in the Flemish region and speak Dutch
• 40% live in the Wallonia region and speak French
• 1% speak German
• In Brussels, 80% speak French and 20% speak Dutch

Linguistic Tensions

• The minority French-speaking community was relatively rich and powerful
• The Dutch-speaking community resented this, as they benefited from economic development and education later
• Tensions arose between the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities in the 1950s and 1960s
• These tensions were more acute in Brussels
• Dutch-speaking people were a majority in the country but a minority in the capital

Sri Lanka

• Sri Lanka is an island nation off the southern coast of Tamil Nadu
• It has about two crore people, similar to Haryana
• Sri Lanka has a diverse population

Sri Lanka's Social Groups:

• Sinhala-speakers: 74%
• Tamil-speakers: 18%
• Tamils are divided into two sub-groups: Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils
• Sri Lankan Tamils are concentrated in the north and east of the country
• Most Sinhala-speaking people are Buddhists
• Most Tamils are Hindus or Muslims
• About 7% are Christians (both Tamil and Sinhala)

Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka

• Sri Lanka became independent in 1948
• The Sinhala community leaders sought dominance over the government due to their majority
• The elected government implemented majoritarian measures to establish Sinhala supremacy

Sinhala Supremacy Measures:

• In 1956, an Act recognized Sinhala as the only official language, disregarding Tamil
• Preferential policies favored Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs
• A new constitution stipulated that the state protect and foster Buddhism
• Measures gradually increased the feeling of alienation among Sri Lankan Tamils
• Political parties led by Buddhist Sinhala leaders were not sensitive to the Tamil language and culture
• Tamils felt the constitution and government policies denied them equal political rights and discriminated against them in jobs

Tamil Eelam

• Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties for recognition of Tamil as an official language
• Sri Lankan Tamils demanded regional autonomy and equality of opportunity in securing education and jobs
• The demand for autonomy in provinces populated by Tamils was repeatedly denied
• By the 1980s, political organizations demanded an independent Tamil Eelam in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka

Civil War

• Distrust between the Sinhala and Tamil communities led to widespread conflict and civil war
• Thousands of people from both communities were killed
• Families were forced to leave the country as refugees, and many lost their livelihoods
• The civil war caused a setback to the social, cultural, and economic life of the country
• The civil war ended in 2009

Accommodation in Belgium

• Belgian leaders recognized regional differences and cultural diversities
• Between 1970 and 1993, the constitution was amended four times
• The goal was to enable everyone to live together within the same country
• The Belgian model is different and innovative

Elements of the Belgian Model:

• The number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers must be equal in the central government
• Special laws require a majority of members from each linguistic group
• No single community can make decisions unilaterally
• Many powers of the Central Government have been given to State Governments
• State Governments are not subordinate to the Central Government
• Brussels has a separate government with equal representation for both communities
• French-speaking people accepted equal representation because the Dutch-speaking community accepted equal representation in the Central Government

Community Government

• Apart from the Central and State Governments, there is a third kind of government: the community government
• This government is elected by people belonging to one language community (Dutch, French, or German-speaking), no matter where they live
• It has power regarding cultural, educational, and language-related issues

Complicated but Effective

• The Belgium model is complicated, even for people living in Belgium
• The Belgium model has helped to avoid civic strife between the two major communities
• The Belgium model has averted a possible division of the country along linguistic lines

Lessons from Belgium and Sri Lanka:

• Both Belgium and Sri Lanka are democracies that dealt with power-sharing differently
• Belgian leaders realized that unity is possible only by respecting the feelings and interests of different communities and regions
• Mutually acceptable arrangements for sharing power resulted from this recognition
• Sri Lanka shows that a majority community wanting to force its dominance and refusing to share power can undermine the country's unity

Power Sharing Explained

• Power sharing is desirable for two sets of reasons: prudential and moral

Prudential Reasons:

• Power sharing is good because it helps reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups
• Social conflict often leads to violence and political instability
• Power sharing ensures the stability of political order
• Imposing the will of the majority community over others may seem attractive in the short run
• Imposing the will of the majority community undermines the unity of the nation in the long run

Moral Reasons:

• Power sharing is the spirit of democracy
• Effective democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise and effects
• People have a right to be consulted on how they are to be governed
• A legitimate government is one where citizens, through participation, acquire a stake in the system

Forms of Power-Sharing:

• In opposition to undivided political power, in a democracy, political power is distributed among as many citizens as possible
• Power is shared among different organs of government and also known as horizontal distribution of power
• The legislature reports to the Parliament or State Assemblies
• Judges are appointed by the executive but can monitor the executive
• Laws are checked by the legislatures
• A system of checks and balances is an arrangement of shared power
• Power can be shared among governments at different levels a national government or central government and a more regional and local one
• Federal government is a general government for the entire country
• State Governments exist in India, but not all countries
• Powers are detailed for each type of government via the constitution
• A vertical division of power is powers with government levels higher and lower

More Power Sharing Forms

• Power can be shared among different social groups
• These groups are defined as religious and or linguistic groups
• A community government in Belgium offers a good example of such a provision
• Some countries feature socially weaker sections and women represented in the legislatures and administration
• Reserved constituencies exist in assemblies and the parliament
• Diverse social groups are meant to be given space in government and administration
• Alienation is resolved with a method to give minority communities fair power
• Power sharing exists with political parties, pressure groups and movements control and influence those in power
• Citizens must have freedom to choose power contenders in democracies
• Parties compete with ideals and social groups
• Alliances happen with two or more parties contesting
• Coalitions happen if their alliance is elected
• Parties share power in a democracy Traders, businessmen, industrialists, farmers and industrial workers find interest through participation in governmental committees