Tag: democracy

Political Fronts: The Future of Governance

Introduction

What can shape one of the most politically active countries in the world. A traditional answer would be Ideology, power (manpower, money and media) and social changes, the three factors which can produce the third political front. The traditional method needs a lot of power with vast social reach to convert that into votes. But what if there was a different way? This article is the first in a series that will explore this question, posing it to both policymakers and theorists, looking for answers to this pressing issue. 

In this series, we will examine the current state of governance and discuss how a third front might shape up.

The possibility of India’s Third Front

Whether or not the Third Front will arise to challenge the BJP and Congress is still a question. The Third Front may arise to champion regional parties, but one thing is clear: India’s politics is in for a major shakeup in the coming years. This is a really good thing as a combination of factors has made the old system unworkable: the rise of strong regional leaders and activist, the collapse of the Congress party, and the Bhakti of Narendra Modi. Large changes are in store for India.

Cons and Pros of a Third Front

A third front is an idea that’s gaining momentum in India, with the focus of this front being on governance rather than ideology. The cons of a third front include how it would be difficult to form alliances because of the lack of common ground. The pros include how if successful, it could bring about much-needed change.

Possible Shape of Third Front? 

The participatory democracy, i.e. the idea of social media and user-generated content to create a virtual public sphere can be used in tandem with the principle of subsidiarity, where communities form their own needs and political systems, which is an effective way to combat populism.

Governments around the world are transitioning to governance models that take advantage of new digital technologies. These technologies enhance the quality and accessibility of public services, provide more effective control of public resources, and help build trust with citizens. What if we could envision a Third Front that does not have a core-ideology of it’s own but the power to crowdsource it from subject experts and up-vote it? What if only the act of up-voting can cause a social change? and Imagine if all of this could be scaled up from India, a specific country to a planet level, global governance?

There is an old curse about it: May you live in interesting times. The curse is on us, and it will be particularly hard to break out from its grip if we naively assume that we know what “politics” and “governance” are. 

The future of governance is an increasingly global, fragmented and a complicated terrain. The more we try to control the behaviour and thoughts of others, the more we see resistance and backlash. It’s time for a new concept of citizenship that embodies both individuality and collective responsibility; one where on balance we can be kinder to ourselves and each other. Where we can choose to be a part of various political fronts, each being a community of it’s own and thus deriving very dynamic glocal identities and killing stereotypes.

The True Democracy and Islam!

Ayatollah Sistani declares vote-buying ‘Haraam’

Iraq’s top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has issued a Fatwa (religious ruling), declaring vote-buying as Haraam (forbidden) ahead of the country’s parliament elections.

Speaking on behalf of the Ayatollah, Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalaei, called on candidates and political parties to respect election laws and avoid trying to influence voter decision through dishonest means.

“Candidates and political entities must adopt a realistic and feasible program to encourage people to vote for them,” Sheikh Abdel Mahdi al-Karbalai told worshippers during the Friday prayers sermon in Karbala’s Imam Hussein mosque.

“They should avoid making unrealistic promises… [They should] also refrain from slandering one another, because it is unacceptable and immoral,” he added.

Karbalai, who is a representative of the leading Shia spiritual leader, also noted that the religious leadership did not favor any particular group or candidate.

He said, however, that showing up at the ballot box on March 7 was not enough, stressing that everyone had a moral responsibility to choose the candidate that they believed would best secure Iraq’s present and future interests.

The cleric also explicitly stated that distributing money, gifts and promises of future handouts to impact election results are an impermissible act based on all religious and ethical principles.

“Accepting these sums is Haraam. Even if you disregard that fact, it would be degrading to Iraq’s national dignity if people start being drawn to a special candidate or group [for these reasons],” he explained.

Vote-buying is not an unheard of phenomenon in the Middle East, but Lebanon is considered on top of the list of regional countries where it is practiced.

According to a New York Times article, foreign money played a major role in determining the result of the country’s latest parliamentary elections, which ended in favor of the pro-West and Saudi-backed March 14 coalition.

Based on the American daily’s report, one adviser to the Saudi government has even confessed that Riyadh had spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the elections in Lebanon, a country that only has a population of four million.

“We’re supporting candidates running against Hezbollah,” the Saudi advisor had told the New York Times.

The paper also said that Saad Hariri, the billionaire leader of the parliamentary majority and a Saudi ally, was alleged to be the biggest election spender.

source: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=119692&sectionid=351020201