Democracy is more than just elections

Building a strong democracy requires more than just holding elections; it rather requires comprehensive reforms and robust institutions, speakers told a discussion yesterday.
They also stressed the need for changing the political culture and ensuring democratic practices within the political parties for building a truly democratic country.
The discussion titled “Journey towards Democracy: Imminent Challenges and Ways to Overcome” was held at Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad auditorium at Bangla Academy in Dhaka.
Dr Ali Riaz, currently the head of Constitution Reform Commission, said building state institutions is the first challenge in the march towards democracy from autocracy.
“Why did the institutions collapse? They didn’t collapse on their own. To establish a dictatorship, the institutions were deliberately destroyed with a well-thought-out plan. These institutions were dismantled to give power to the state so that a single person can use it for their personal gains,” said Prof Riaz.
“To confront such a state apparatus, we must think collectively. We may have differing opinions, but attempting to bulldoze them under the guise of national unity won’t bring any real benefit”
He said he disagrees with the notion of traditional national unity.
“Many say democracy is a unity. But I say no, democracy is rather a way to create many opinions. Democracy is to ensure an arrangement where I will be able to stay with you expressing my differences,” said Ali Riaz, also a distinguished professor of Illinois State University in the US.
The political analyst also spoke strongly about ensuring accountability of political parties and changing the political culture to build the country in line with public aspirations.
Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said there are two types of democracy — minimum democracy and ideal democracy.
“If we want an ideal democracy, we’ll have to carry out some reforms,” he said, adding that every institution has been destroyed by Sheikh Hasina.
He recalled the sacrifice of the victims of the July uprising, and said their sacrifice meant that a mere election is not enough. “We need to ensure that the judiciary remains independent, opposition parties play their due roles in parliament and no prime minister can become fascist.”
He said he does not believe that so many people sacrificed their lives just for a minimum democracy. “We will have to implement some reforms to reflect public expectations for an ideal democracy.”
He called for patience and unity, and said while criticism of the government is welcome, the critics also need to offer solutions.
Explaining the situation behind the oath-taking of the interim government under the existing constitution, Asif Nazrul said that in the first few tumultuous days after Hasina’s fall, no one questioned the process of oath-taking, and no one spoke about forming a “revolutionary government”.
“Perhaps the situation wasn’t like that at the time. Situation did not allow [us] to make a well-thought-out decision. If this decision to go along the constitutional line was wrong, then the constitutional path is wrong for everyone,” he added.
Political analyst Zahed Ur Rahman, also a member of the Electoral Reform Commission, however, said a minimum democracy should be ensured first to march towards an ideal democracy over time.
“We will have to leave utopian thoughts. We’ll have to march forward with pragmatic thoughts,” he said, and warned against setting the expectation too high.
Umama Fatima, spokesperson of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, criticised the government for being in a “very weak position.”
“It is our responsibility to point out their mistakes and guide them towards the right direction. Until the election is held, we must ensure that an environment for justice and accountability is established within the state,” she said, adding that the interim administration has failed to formulate a clear plan on the way forward.
Quota movement student coordinator Hasnat Abdullah said they will not cave in to any political, internal or external pressure until they have fulfilled the responsibility they have assumed.
Another student organiser, Sarjis Alam, said, “The major challenge to democracy is that over 70 percent of us are silent spectators, as long as we are not directly affected. These people are the ones most responsible for supporting the fascist system.”