CLASS IX - DEMOCRATIC POLITICS

CHAPTER - 1 - WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? WHY DEMOCRACY?

RECAP (1.1)

• 2 forms of government

o Democratic government

o Non – Democratic government

• Democracy – Basic Definition

a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people.

1.2 – FEATURES OF DEMOCRACY

PEOPLE ELECTION

RULERS GOVERNMENT

COMPONENTS

WHO ARE THE PEOPLE? All adult citizens – above 18 years of age

WHAT KIND OF ELECTION? Free and fair

WHO ARE THE RULERS?

Elected representatives

Decision makers

WHAT FORM OF GOVERNMENT?

Accountable to the people

FEATURES OF DEMOCRACY

Major Decisions by Elected Leaders

Free and Fair Electoral Competition

One Person, One Vote, One Value

Rule of Law and Respect for Rights

MAJOR DECSIONS BY ELECTED LEADERS PAKISTAN – A CASE STUDY

o 1999 – General Pervez Musharraf overthrew a

democratically elected government through a

military coup

o Declared himself the Chief Executive of the

country

o Changed his designation to President

o 2002 – held a referendum – gave him five year

extension.

o 2002 August – issued a Legal Frame Work Order:

• Amended the constitution – allowed the

president to dismiss the national and

provincial assemblies.

• Placed the civilian cabinet under the

National Security Council, dominated by the

military officers.

• Held elections to the national and state

assemblies.

• But the final power rested with the military

officers and General Musharraf.

Can we call Pakistan a democratic country? Of course not.

In a democracy, the final decision making power must rest with those elected by the people.

FREE AND FAIR ELECTORAL COMPETITION CASE STUDY

• CHINA

• Elections are held regularly every 5 years to elect

the parliament- Quango Renmin Daibiao Dahui

(National Peoples Congress).

• Appoint the president of the country.

• Only the candidates approved by the Chinese

communist party are allowed to contest the

elections.

• MEXICO • 1930- Became independent

• Elections have been held regularly every 6 years to elect president.

• Has never been under military or dictatorial rule.

• Until 2000 every election was won by PRI (Institutional Republican Party)

• The PRI resorted to dirty tricks –

* Government officers had to attend party meetings

* Government school teachers used to force parents to vote for PRI.

* Media ignored the activities of the opposition political parties.

* Used to shift polling booths the last minute.

* Spent large sums for campaign.

• Hence, only PRI formed the government.

• Does not offer people

any serious choice.

• People are forced to

choose the ruling

party and candidates

approved by it.

• People seem to have a

choice but practically

no choice.

• Ruling party couldn’t

be defeated even if

people were against it.

The governments of China and Mexico are not truly democratic

A democracy must be based on free and fair elections where

those currently in power have a fair chance of losing

CHINA MEXICO

ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE, ONE VALUE CASE STUDY

SAUDI ARABIA

ESTONIA

FIJI

• Women do not have

the right to vote

• Russian Minority doesn’t

enjoy equal rights in voting

• Vote of an indigenous

Fijian has more value

than an Indian Fijian

Democracy is based on the Principle of political equality – Universal Adult Franchise.

These countries are also non-democratic as they do not ensure political equality

RULE OF LAW AND RESPECT FOR RIGHTS CASE STUDY

ZIMBABWE • 1980 – Independence from white minority rule

• ZANU – PF The party that led the freedom struggle came to power.

• Robert Mugabe, a very popular leader became the head of the

government.

• Held elections regularly, but always won by ZANU-PF

• Mugabe followed unfair practices in elections.

* Increased the power of the president by changing the

constitution.

*Harassed the opposition party workers , disrupted their

meetings

* Public protests and demonstrations against the govt.

declared illegal.

* Passed laws limiting the rights to criticize the president .

* Censored the media, the 4th pillar of democracy.

* Ignored the judgments of the court.

The popularity of the ruler is not a sufficient condition for the success of democracy. The govt.

cannot do whatever it likes.

A democratic govt. rules within the limits set by constitutional laws

and citizen rights.

Broader definition of democracy

• Rulers, elected by the people take all the major

decisions.

• Elections offer a choice and fair opportunity to the

people to change the current leaders.

• The choice and opportunity is available to all the

people on an equal basis.

• The exercise of this choice leads to a govt. limited by

basic rules of constitution and citizens’ rights.

Democracy is a form of govt, in which :