panel 1: why is democracy so hard to consolidate? wednesday, april 19 th (9:00-10:00am) 13 th...
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Panel 1: Why Is Democracy So Hard To Consolidate?
Wednesday, April 19th (9:00-10:00am)
13th Symposium on
Development and Social Transformation
Democracy And Conflict In Macedonia
Dragomira Zhecheva
Panel 1: Why Is Democracy So Hard To Consolidate?
13th Symposium onDevelopment and Social Transformation
Conflict BackgroundParties • Macedonian government/police • Albanian communities• Albanian political parties
The Ohrid Peace Agreement• Representation in the Administration for the Albanian
minority• Political Voice• Education• Culture – Language• Decentralization
EU
Reforms for Resolution
Decentralization• Municipal Reform incorporate Albanian and
Macedonian communities in joint decision making
• State and Local Government bring inter group national issues to local level solutions
– Schools and new educational plan– Budgets
How did the Reforms not solve the tensions…
Municipal Reform
Civil Society
Perceptions
Institutions Building(Schools)
Training of CadresSelf-Rule at the Local Level
Political Representation
Problems…
No Representation and Institutions - No Channels of communication
No neutral reliable process
Persisting perceptions
Continuous exclusion/inclusion
Groups’ Own
Solutions
Consolidation Of Romanian Democracy
Gabriella Pakucs
Panel 1: Why Is Democracy So Hard To Consolidate?
13th Symposium onDevelopment and Social Transformation
Is the Romanian Democracy Is the Romanian Democracy
a Consolidated Democracy?a Consolidated Democracy?
Gabriella PakucsGabriella Pakucs
April 2006April 2006
Two Main Theoretical Approaches
It is the only game in town
In terms of formform – fair elections, alternation in power
(Huntington)
Focus on substancesubstance – the arenas of democracy:
the political society the civil society the rule of lawthe state bureaucracy the economic society
(Linz and Stepan)
I will concentrate on the political arena for two reasons:
The central importance of this arena in influencing or controlling the functioning of all others
The evolution followed the cycles of political four-year mandates
The political arena
1989, December– the violent end of the communist era, followed by the interim leadership
1990-1992 – the constituent assembly, the ex-communists’ first period - “the socialism with a human face”
1992-1996 – the second mandate for the ex-communists
1996-2000 – the first alternation in first alternation in powerpower due to strong involvement of the NGO sphere – the weak state
2000-2004 – the ex-communists’ third accession to power – the too strong state
2004- present – the second the second alternation in poweralternation in power (the “orange revolution”)
Conclusion
Consolidation must encompass all the all the arenasarenas simultaneouslysimultaneously– the criterion of form is not enough to define democracy
The way to consolidation was externally steeredexternally steered – IMF/WB and the European Union
The 1997 Constitution And Thai Democracy
Joanna Song
Panel 1: Why Is Democracy So Hard To Consolidate?
13th Symposium onDevelopment and Social Transformation
Introduction
Democracy & Consolidated Democracy? The mere survival of democracy does
not signal that it is consolidated.
A minimal focus of such political institutions as parliament, bureaucracy, and court of democracy
Democratic Maturation
?
Young Age of Democracy: Thailand
Democracy struggling with many street demonstrations, impeachment, autocratic leaders, and political crisis.
Democracy emerged during the Third Wave identified by Huntington as young, fragile, and low quality.
Democracy lack of capacity to maintain persistence.
The 1997 Constitution
Sixteenth Constitution but the first participatory
drafted constitution
Sixteenth Constitution but the first participatory
drafted constitution Human Rights Human Rights
Electoral SystemElectoral SystemIndependent judicial &
Quasi-judicial institutionsIndependent judicial &
Quasi-judicial institutions
The 1997 Constitution
The 1997 Constitution
Lack of attitudinal commitment of the political leaders
Independence of Watch-dog agencies
Vote-buying and corrupt politics
Thai Democracy Style
1) Legacies of Military Domination End of the absolute monarchy in 1932- by military officials Adopt constitutional democracy Monopolized the power of the state and utilized it for their
individual or collective causes Frequent changes of military dominated political system
from 1932 to 1973 “Vicious Cycle” ; Political Crisis
Military Coup
New Constitution
Thai Democracy Style
2) Liberalized Institution but
ineffective
Minimally active parliament Strong executive branch and bureaucrats Controlled participation of masses Appointment system Power centralization in Bangkok
Thai Democracy Style
3) Immobilized and Fragmented Civil
Society
Master-Servant Principle Authoritarian political legacy Low degree of active citizenship and civic
competence Absent of politically mobilized masses
Road to Making Democracy
Role of New Constitution and Watch-dog agencies
- Attitudinal commitment of political leader & independent judiciary and quasi-judicial institutions
Future development of strong parliament and political parties
-Fundamental reform of political system, active legislature, representative politicians
Panel 1: Why Is Democracy So Hard To Consolidate?
Wednesday, April 19th (9:00-10:00am)
Dragomira Zhecheva Democracy And Conflict In Macedonia
Gabriella Pakucs Consolidation Of Romanian Democracy
Joanna Song The 1997 Constitution And Thai Democracy
13th Symposium onDevelopment and Social Transformation