Democracy – By Oscar E V Fernando
Since independence we have been governed by democratic regimes, implying that we in Sri Lanka are living in a Democratic country-democracy being a form of government in which people govern themselves or elect representatives to govern-as opposed to a totalitarian state.
A small group may govern themselves by mutual agreement, but when this community expands, they find it necessary to elect a leader to govern.
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The elected leaders meet in Parliament to discuss and pass laws to govern the people who elected them including themselves-and in a democratic country no one is above the law-and such a government Abraham Lincoln says is-Of the people-By the people-For the people.
Electing leaders to Parliament has now become a tricky matter of politics-and politics is defined as the science or business of government-science being the academic side and business being the practice of it in the electorate including Parliament.
Business of politics in the electorate has over the years got in to muddied waters with many an elected representative seen palm oiling business entrepreneurs outside parliament-for reasons obvious.
At the time country got its independence the economy was run mainly by Private enterprise and we earned world encomium as one of the best economies in Asia and today we are classed as a bankrupt Nation-and it is apt to note that from the good old days of opulence to now-the economy was run by so called Public ‘Ventures’ Yes venturing to get the best of Komis with very little concern about developing the economy-moreover various colored politician played musical chairs with the economy-replacing an earlier project with his pet project to please his ego and his purse-these were the causes that led to our nearly sinking ship of state!
It is apt to state that most of them in Parliament today are in sympathy with the philosophy of Che Guvera to ease the burdens of the poor and so is Pope Francis who stresses heavily on this subject in his writings; it is also apt to note that Russia and China are veering away from extreme state ownership to a mixture of private and public in a controlled manner and this pose of democracy should be welcomed.
It is apt to note that a totalitarian government is a system of government by a single party which allows no opposition and which demands complete obedience to the state-unlike a democratic government.
Oscar E V Fernando
November 2024
