Democracy No Panacea
American politicians like to promote democracy as a polished gemstone behind a plate glass window at the jewelry store, rather than as a diamond in the rough still encrusted in stone. A country’s decision to embrace democratic reform is only the first step in a long, arduous process of political reconciliation. Real democracy requires consensus building among people who disagree about almost everything.
When a country selects its political leaders through legitimate elections, other countries must deal with whomever the citizens choose. In the long run this is preferable to totalitarian governments, where power only transfers from one group to another through violence. If all political organizations in a country agree to peaceful exchanges of power based on elections, it indicates that the nation is ready for long term political stability.
Bolivia
President Evo Morales has encountered a bit of headwind in his sail towards political reform in Bolivia. Over half of Bolivia’s regional governors have rejected a vote on whether they should stay in office and instead are calling for early general elections.
Last week Tarija became the fourth province to vote for greater independence from the central government. The war of words seems likely to continue for a while. At least these skirmishes are decided by results from the ballot box.
Kosovo
In a similar rebuke of national solidarity, Kosovo’s minority Serbs have assembled their own parliament in the northern town of Mitrovica, rather than assent to the terms of Kosovo’s new constitution. It may be hard to envision how this separate parliament will govern effectively, but it’s easy to see that plenty of animosity remains in this part of Europe.
Democracy, Bolivia, Evo Morales, Kosovo
August 22nd, 2008 at 7:00 am
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