Bipolar democracy and its disadvantages

The phenomenal economic success of China during the last few decades and the economic path followed by Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore makes one question the suitability of the Western model of democracy for the developing world.

China is about to overtake the US economy as the largest economy in the world and the quality of life in China has improved beyond all expectations.

Third world countries like Sri Lanka are still immersed in poverty after more than half a century of so-called democracy in operation. The multipolar systems tend to polarise the population based on community, religion etc., and the politicians make use of these polarisations to come to power, as we have witnessed in this country. Singapore is a good example where the education, professional experiences etc. are the criteria on which the politicians are selected.

Another glaring shortcoming in the present system is that terms of government that last only five or six years; this time duration is not sufficient for those in power to achieve anything economically significant for the country. If the masses are made to go through hardships in expectation of better times, the system allows the opposition to gain advantage of this fact to vilify the ruling party, as it happened in Sri Lanka in the seventies when Dr. N. M. Perera as the minister of finance introduced some stringent measures in expectation of a better future. However, it did not pay off as the Opposition took the opportunity to blame the government for the hardships the masses were subjected to and gain the political advantage thereof. The result was that UNP gained a landslide victory at the following elections. Ironically, what UNP did first after coming to power was to revalue the rupee in spite of protests from NM. What followed in politics and finances of this country since is history to contemplate on.

I invite all professional bodies in this country to get together and propose a system which can overcome glaring short comings of the present system of governance.

As a cynic said, politics is the only profession in Sri Lanka which does not require any educational or professional qualifications to enter. This was well illustrated in a cartoon published in a daily newspaper some years back, where an irate politician parent whilst going through his sons bad school report reprimands his son angrily, “what do you expect to do when you grow up with bad reports like this.” The son calmly replies, “I will become a politician like you.”

Indrasena Samaratunga