Are Political Parties Good For Our Nation

are political parties good for our nation

The phenomenon of carpet Cruz: a threat to Sierra Leone multiparty democracy

In 1991 Sierra Leone Constitution, including Article 77 (1K) eliminated the practice of crossing the carpet between the elected representatives in parliament. By stipulating that "a member of Parliament shall vacate his seat Parliament ceases to be member of political party member who was at the time of his election to Parliament, and to report to the President or is informed by the leader of that party, "the authors of the 1991 Constitution addressed opportunistic motivations of elected politicians who seek to change parties after the elections and have therefore strengthened our fragile system of political parties.

The phenomenon of switching political parties after political disagreements or because of tribal sentiments and regional and / or because of personality conflicts among political parties, even if Sierra Leone is not the preserve, is a practice long since developed in modern politics in Sierra Leone.

Since the memorable Brewah, Kai-Samba 1967 FS Anthony defections SLPP, followed by the defection of opposition to the decision of F. APC SLPP Minah million in 1974 and the wholesale SLPP Cross, including carpets its leaders, Mustafa and MS-Salia Jusu Sheriff following the declaration of the PCA of the Constitution of 1978 a single party, politicians have been too eager to show their selfishness and lack of political principles to the detriment of their constituents.

The cross on the carpet and Dr. JB Dauda Abass Bundu of the APC for the SLPP in the years 1990 is an example of change in the opposite direction.

Cruz carpet by politicians were not elected:

However, carpeting traversed by elected politicians are not addressed in the Constitution of 1991, remains a serious threat to the stability of multi-party system in Sierra Leone. The final round of the PMDC and SLPP politicians carpet Cross PCA decision represents a continuation of this self-centered interests and fraud some progressive political practice, which poses the greatest current threat to the fragile pluralistic representative democracy in the country.

As was identified in the report of the TRC, Sierra Leone "politicians have always preferred the short-term survival of individual ideology sound, doctrines of principle or good governance. Thus, in 1978, members of the SLPP abdicated their responsibilities to challenge a bad government, its main objective instead of changing the method of collecting the remains of co-option "(TRC Report No. 3A paragraph 69).

For a nation recovering from the effects of civil war, characterized the lack of good governance, our inability to re-evaluate and assess the long-term consequences of a system where politicians only to satisfy personal greed and self-aggrandizement are allowed to subvert our democratic institutions and governance can longer be tolerated.

A critical mass of people, both internally, with international partners in the country should be aware that Sierra Leone may think that politicians continue to develop and ensure the country's democratic environment, the practice of bribes, positions and provides resources State to attract political boundaries of the carpet. Interest own greed is so overwhelming against abject poverty in the country, which has always been a motivating factor it induces. While politicians carpet Cross continue to receive political favors, gifts and positions in government, it is logical that the government is just a facade generated resentment along the lines before the period of civil war.

If political elites capable of change?

The political elite of Sierra Leone abandoned to their fate is not only a corrupting influence on governance, but collectively embody the most powerful threat to representative democracy in the nation in the making. His penchant for changing political parties, known in local parlance "cross-carpet" is so widespread and devoid of any component or national policy leads, unless the parties in a truly democratic dispensation in the country seek to reduce this practice, Sierra Leone will be transferred to another calamity.

syndrome carpet Cross, a symptom of the malaise in our representative democratic system, as evidenced by the failure of his political beliefs, policies and ideals are again expressed opposition political parties are struggling to join the APC government in power for self-aggrandizement and greed.

The dossier part APC

Part PCA is often said that the idea of a one-party state Sierra Leone has been proposed by Albert Margai of the SLPP. This is true, but what is indisputable is that the APC and brutally Siaka Stevens passed the Constitution part of 1978. Siaka Stevens regime institutionalization of the concept of a single party managed to stifle and suppress all non-violent means of the opposition in the country subsequently lead to debilitating and brutal civil war. Reading the TRC report and especially the presentation of the APC party TRC continued to focus on the part obsessed by the power exercised without restraint and as such can not be trusted to maintain the multi- political environment today.

Part of the rationale as stated in its submission to the TRC by U.S. President Koroma among other things "from the CPA was returned to power after the U.S. military interregnum SLPP in 1968, the ever present threat to eliminate some costs by force of arms APC forced successive governments in a situation of legitimate defense and defense of the state. In the process, internal security and stability to occupy a prominent place on the agenda of the government, reducing and the total impact of our development strategies "

The party of concern for the perpetual maintenance of power and their inability to accept responsibility for the excesses of the era Siaka Stevens and the justification for gross infiltration of the democratic processes of the nation and institutions, is expressed in the report of the TRC, should call for better monitoring by the opposition political parties, the institutions of society civil and international community to prevent a repetition of the negative aspects of governance in an era of Siaka Stevens, as evidenced the constitution of the party in 1978.

While the world was being deceived by the idea that the civil war in Sierra Leone was the result diamond, it is clear that those who have lived in both the Siaka Stevens and Momoh was once the country really ready for a revolution and was headed for a violent conflagration. With all due respect to the notion glamorous West that the civil war was about blood diamonds, it should be noted that the deprivation of rights and the abandonment of political association, the party forced administration Siaka Stevens, was one of the important catalyst that fueled the conflict. Much has changed since then, however, but they are always the same things and how quickly we forget the political elite consequences their acts and omissions that led to this disaster?

Restrictions on the choice of political parties, not switching:

Some argue that freedom of political choice, a fundamental principle of participatory democracy, which provides for these politicians to exercise freedom to associate with a party of their choice in a democracy. This is true, but freedom is not unlimited or without boundaries and our democracy participatory needs Designed to work as a means of improving the capacity of government institutions and not only by the machinations of political elites opportunistic.

The cons-argument is applied here is that reasonable checks and balances and prudent, if not eliminate this practice, but to eliminate the incentives and political rewards in turn these politicians want spaces should be established in electoral laws. For in developed democracies, there is a right, the fragility of our democracy crumbling and our politicians halfway always so convenient between belonging to different political parties should be investigated and accused and instituted corrective measures.

One corrective action involves the adoption of laws and / or regulations authorizing the I Electoral Commission Political Parties Registration Commission ensure that in the case of the cross as carpet by politicians were not elected, politicians should preclude the taking Appointment use of any State, political or moral benefits of their new games after the next election. In this way, the game system currently taking place in the political system is planned. The temptation to defect in exchange for appointments in other parts will be minimized.

Because as well as parliamentarians are not allowed to change their political party after his election, there is no rational reason why this can not be extended except other non-politicians.

Secondly, the preservation of a multiparty democracy is greater and more important than the desire of political association with a person a party in power. political establishment of Sierra Leone must aware that political pluralism is a fundamental reference point in a true democracy institutions and values, and any effort to dilute the risks parties who eats the fabric of cohesion and integrity of the democratic space.

Australians: Why is it so important for you to become a republic?

I think it is not necessary to become a republic, because our political system works quite large and if we elect a president most likely way that the person with the highest office in the country belongs to a political party and has more power it aspires. Beauty The Governor General is that he / she may dissolve Parliament if the Prime Minister abuse his power in any way. As Australians, I see no need to change our flag now. When we fought in World War 2, not only fought for freedom, who also fought for the flag not be replaced by a Nazi flag. What is your reason to change our flag and the ruin of our great country by electing a president to make our country as corrupt as the United States? @ Thom what you think? Our current system is much better than having a president as head of state.

British'm is my prespective. Australia since the first conception has always been a monarchy, Australia is one of the most stable democracies in the world thanks to its system of government and a constitutional monarchy. The flag of Australia is one of the most beautiful flag in the world, I even have one in my house here in England. This Republican movement is just an attempt to deny their identity and heritage. The end result is more power transferred to politicians, good to have a queen as head of state is that it is politically neutral and not interfere with the functioning of the country. If, once in Australia as President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, for example, keep their noses in the questions. Australia is a great country and must maintain a cultural heritage and beautiful flag!

Debate: Secure Pakistan - Political Parties/Beliefs & National Security - Part 1