Kanthar Balanathan

Democracy is defined as a set of principles and practices that protect human freedom. It is defined as the codification and management of freedom. It is also said as to rest upon basic, entrenched principles, not uniform practices. It is also known that Democratic societies are committed to the values of tolerance, cooperation, and compromise.

Principles of Democracy is, Majority Rule while protecting Minority Rights.  Nowhere in the world democracy is defined as bribery, collaterals, barter system, and corruption to grab power.

Uganda Office of the Konrad- Adenauer-Stiftung, in its document A Guide for Peer Educators”, states Democracy as Quote (1 of 8): A system of rule by the poor and disadvantaged”. This may not be accepted as true, liberal, democracy in the third world.

It is questionable whether ideal or practical democracy prevails in any third world/developing country. The main reason is lack of understanding of the principles of democracy, shared benefits, cooperation, and acceptance. The absence of readiness to accept propositions from alternative body or person(s), and give up a handful of their own, is mainly the dominance character of humans around the world. Mainly, positive, constructive suggestions and submissions from one group can be disregarded and discounted, due to self-assumed, inflated nous of being better than others.

The first world (West, Europe, Australia) is presumed to practice democracy to at least near ≈ 90%-95%. The reason attributed to the shortfall of ≈ 5%-10% could be questionable, whether the country is policing and controlling political activities under cover of national security or any other reason. This is debatable anyway. Some political party in the West earn their collateral in the form of votes from refugees and migrated (legal & Illegal) minorities which are considered an inferior form of democracy. Some political parties also support refugee migration, not having a liking, however, to gain their support for votes. It’s slapdash, haphazard and disgraceful in democracy.

In SriLanka, the electoral system is totally different. The election for MPs is conducted by proportional representation, where an electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes casted for them. This results in no MP is responsible for any electorate. MPs go scot-free for inefficiency, incapability, corrupt practices, and laziness. Government allocates money to be spent to develop an electorate. However, these MPs keep the funds in their pockets and use for their private purpose or election spending(bribery)

For example, within the Northern Provincial Council boundary, no Councillor is responsible for any electorate. Same for the other Councils. Same as parliamentary MPs. Some good patriotic councilor(s) select an area based on their own caste and use a small amount to buy tables, buckets, and chairs.

Three general types:

• Plurality electoral systems. Also called first-past-the-post” or winner-take-all” systems, plurality systems simply award a seat to the individual candidate who receives the most votes in an election.
• Majority of electoral systems.
• Proportional representation.

Why do the parties in power formulate such a political framework?

Rich, astute, calculating & foxy men form a club and form a political party. Only people who will become to act a slave to the top hierarchy will be admitted to the party. No intellectual may be admitted unless he will act a slave. Therefore, in a proportional representation system, it is a club of the rich and the cunning run the system. Once they come to power they twist and shape up the constitution and the legal system so that they can trickle out of the legal system.

The top hierarchy studies the weakness of the people and campaign they will work for it. In the case of SriLankan Tamils, since 1949, the slogan of Federalism and Tamil Eelam consolidated by SJVC is still the show running full house. However, in the recent decades, we are able to see the shift of the Tamils towards the patriotic move. Some have shifted towards, SriLanka as their country and consolidated the concept of one nation, one country.

However, the Federal party stooges are still moving with the blind theory and blunt sword of separation fooling the masses, and recent decade, the University students come out and fight.

The SriLankan political club members have evaded from their responsibility of serving their people by the proportional system of government. People in Matara, Vaddukoddai does not know who their Member of Parliament is. Recently a media published that a Provincial Council member got her relative a job in his/her division, however, the said person hardly come to work. Another media statement published that a council minister was collecting a salary for ghost workers. This was happening in the 50s: some Tamil engineers were titled Casual Sun”, as they collected a salary for non-working (Ghost staff) staff under the casual register. These are all the illegal practices carried by politicians, however, can the voters punish these hoodlums?

In SriLanka and India, politicians buy their votes from voters by paying them money, packets of Biriyani, bottles of liquor, or in some form to get their votes. Voters do not realize the act of the politician that they are been purchased for votes. Uneducated and some educated fools vote for the politician. Virtually there exist some form of collateral for the campaign. This can also be understood as a form of Barter system. Well theoretically, ethically, and logically, this means that the politician has no responsibility to offer any services to the electorate.

Finally, the democratic system is kinked with a political bow distorting the democratic process and lead the country to corrupt practices.

In 2015 when the current good governance (in theory) came into power by hook or crook with the aid of the West and corrupt practice, was there a barter system threaded in with the sale of the Reserve bank bond? Why was the bond sale approved? Was it for funds for the election campaign?

Finally, whom can the system blame?

1. Democracy?
2. Politicians?
3. Citizens / Voters?
4. Political system?
5. Political Culture?
6. The culture of the people?
7. If it is a culture of the people, then what is the grass root of the problem?
8. Who is gaining financially, politically?
9. Finally, what happens? Does it blow to an unproportionate size and drive the country to poverty?

The situation in SriLanka is that Tamil politicians maintain their political seat by campaigning for secession, separation and with the racial campaign. They have absolutely no responsibility for the development of the region. Somehow Tamil younger generation with their free education, qualify and leave the country. What happens next? These people go to foreign countries and campaign for secession. The world should be able to see from the media, the amount of rowdyism around the countries by the LTTE hoodlums. Some Heads of States in the West are sucked into their campaign, by their absurdity or what?

Getting closer to the election Tamil politicians intensify their demand for separation and Tamil Eelam. The people do not understand the actions of the politicians that they are fooling around. They cannot even question as to what development they have done so far?

The morality of a person, politician, and citizen plays the foremost, imperative role in understanding and practising factual democracy. An immoral person cannot be a good person to enter politics, as his actions would be against moral principles”

This is 21^st-century democracy in the third world.