Power Sharing: Belgium and Sri Lanka

Power-Sharing: Overview

• In a democracy, power should not rest with a single government entity.
• Distributing power among the legislature, executive and judiciary is essential for a democratic design.
• The chapter uses the examples of Belgium and Sri Lanka to explore power-sharing.
• It examines how democracies manage power-sharing demands and derives general conclusions about its necessity.

Belgium and Sri Lanka: Contrasting Cases

• Belgium is a small European country, smaller than Haryana.
• It borders France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg, with a population slightly above one crore.
• Belgium has a complex ethnic composition:
  • 59% live in the Flemish region and speak Dutch.
  • 40% live in Wallonia and speak French.
  • 1% speaks German.
• Brussels, the capital, is 80% French-speaking and 20% Dutch-speaking.
• The minority French-speaking community was historically wealthier and more powerful.
• This led to tensions with the Dutch-speaking community, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s.
• Brussels faced a unique problem: Dutch speakers were a majority nationally but a minority in the capital.
• Sri Lanka is an island nation near Tamil Nadu, with a population around two crore.
• The population is diverse, with Sinhala speakers (74%) and Tamil speakers (18%) as major groups.
• Tamils are divided into 'Sri Lankan Tamils' (natives) and 'Indian Tamils' (descendants of plantation workers).
• Sri Lankan Tamils are concentrated in the north and east.
• Most Sinhala speakers are Buddhists.
• Most Tamils are Hindus or Muslims.
• About 7% of the population are Christians, both Tamil and Sinhala.

Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka

• Sri Lanka became independent in 1948.
• Sinhala leaders sought to dominate the government due to their majority.
• A series of majoritarian policies to establish Sinhala supremacy were adopted.
• In 1956, an Act recognized Sinhala as the only official language, disregarding Tamil.
• Preferential policies favored Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.
• The constitution mandated state protection and fostering of Buddhism.
• These measures increased alienation among Sri Lankan Tamils, feeling that major political parties led by Buddhist Sinhala leaders were insensitive to their language and culture.
• Tamils felt the constitution and government policies denied political rights, discriminated in jobs, and ignored their interests.
• Relations between Sinhala and Tamil communities deteriorated.
• Sri Lankan Tamils launched parties and struggles for Tamil recognition as an official language, regional autonomy, and equal opportunities.
• Demands for autonomy in Tamil-populated provinces were repeatedly denied.
• By the 1980s, political organizations demanded an independent Tamil Eelam (state) in northern and eastern Sri Lanka.
• Distrust led to widespread conflict and civil war.
• Thousands were killed, and many families became refugees or lost livelihoods.
• The civil war severely impacted Sri Lanka's social, cultural, and economic life.
• It 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 aim was to enable everyone to live together within the same country.
• The Belgian model:
  • The constitution dictates an equal number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers in the central government.
  • Special laws require support from the majority of members from each linguistic group, preventing unilateral decisions.
  • Many central government powers were given to state governments in the two regions.
  • State governments are not subordinate to the central government.
  • Brussels has a separate government with equal representation from both communities.
  • French speakers accepted equal representation in Brussels, as Dutch speakers accepted equal representation in the central government.
• A 'community government' is elected by people of one language community (Dutch, French, German), regardless of location.
• This government handles cultural, educational, and language-related issues.
• Though complicated, the Belgian model has been effective.
• It helped avoid civic strife between major communities and potential division along linguistic lines.

Why Power Sharing is Desirable

• Power sharing helps reduce the possibility of conflict between social groups.
• Social conflict leads to violence and political instability.
• Power sharing ensures the stability of political order.
• Imposing the majority's will undermines national unity in the long run.
• The tyranny of the majority is oppressive for the minority and detrimental to the majority.
• Power sharing is the spirit of democracy.
• It involves sharing power with those affected and who must live with its effects.
• People have a right to be consulted on their governance.
• A legitimate government requires citizen participation and stakeholding.
• Prudential reasons stress better outcomes, while moral reasons emphasize power sharing's value.

Forms of Power Sharing

• Power sharing opposes the idea of undivided political power.
• Democracy relies on the principle that people are the source of all political power.
• In a democracy, people rule through self-government institutions.
• Good democratic governance respects diverse groups and views in society.
• Everyone has a voice in shaping public policy.
• Political power should be distributed among as many citizens as possible.

Types of Power-Sharing Arrangements in Modern Democracies

• Power is shared among different government organs such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary (horizontal distribution).
• This ensures no organ has unlimited power through a system of checks and balances.
• Power is shared among governments at different levels:
  • A general government for the entire country and governments at the provincial or regional level (federal government).
• The constitution clearly defines the powers of different government levels.
• Power may be shared among different social groups like religious and linguistic groups ('community government').
• This arrangement can be constitutional or legal, giving socially weaker sections and women representation in legislatures and administration.
  • It gives space in the government and administration to diverse social groups, who otherwise would feel alienated from the government, and aims to give minority communities a fair share in power.
• Power sharing can be seen in how political parties, pressure groups, and movements control or influence those in power.
  • Citizens have the freedom to choose among various contenders for power.
• Competition among different parties ensures power does not remain in one hand.
• Diverse political parties share power that represents different ideologies and social groups.
  • This occurs directly when two or more parties form an alliance to contest elections.
• Interest groups like traders, businessmen, industrialists, farmers, and industrial workers also have a share in governmental power.
  • This is achieved through participation in governmental committees or influencing the decision-making process.