| Front Page |
Aniis A. Essa, Washington, DC.
To become reality, democratic values must be incorporated into a political process, a set of arrangements for making decisions and managing the public’s business. The essence of the democratic process is respect for the rules of fair play, which can be seen in the tradition of free and fair elections, majority rule, freedom of expression, and the right to assemble and protest.
FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS:
Democratic government is based on free and fair elections held at intervals frequent enough to make them relevant to policy choices. Elections are one of the important devices for keeping officials and representatives accountable.
Representative democracy mean a system of government in which those who have the authority to make decisions with the force of law acquire and retain this authority either directly or indirectly as the result of winning free elections in which the great majority of citizens are allowed to participate. Democracy is the idea that opposition political parties can exist, can run candidates in elections, and can have a chance to replace those who are currently holding public office.
Although all citizens should have equal voting power, free and fair elections do not imply everyone must or will have equal political influence. Some people because of wealth, talent, or position, have more influence than others. How much extra influence key figures should be allowed to exercise in a democracy is an ongoing question.
MAJORITY (PLURALITY) RULE:
Majority rule is one of the procedures that make elections free and fair. The basic rule of a democracy is that those with the most votes take charge of the government, at least until the next election, when a new majority may be voted in to take charge. In practice, majority rule is often plurality rule, in which the largest bloc takes charge, even though it may not constitute a true majority, which would be more than half the vote.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION:
Free and fair elections depend on access to information relevant to voting choices. Voters must have access to facts, competing ideas, and the view of candidates. Free and fair elections require a climate in which competing, nongovernment-owned newspapers, radio stations, and television stations can flourish. "Sida uu ka dhigay wasiirka warfaafinta mr. Jiir bakhaar galay idaacadii Somaliland mid u adeegta xisbiga udub oo ah sidii xisbigii siyaad barre oo kale". If the government controls what will be said and how it will be said , then there is no democracy. Without free speech there are no free and fair elections.
THE RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE AND PROTEST:
Citizens must be free to organize for political purposes. Obviously, individuals can be more effective if they join with others in a party, a pressure group, a protest movement, or a demonstration. "Sida uu wasiirak guduhu mr. Ismail Faqash u diiday dadkii doonaayay in ay mudaharadaan ee uu ka dhigay sidii dadka loo cabudhiyay ee dhagax tuurkii 1982." The right to oppose the government, to form opposition parties, and to have a chance of defeating incumbents is not vital; it is a defining characteristic of a democracy.
There are three kinds of parties in Somaliland...those who make things happen KULMIYE, those who watch things happens UCID, those who wonder what happened UDUB.
Home | Contact us | Links | Archives