Quote:
Originally Posted by rose_pak
If Pakistan wants to progress, it should redefine the process of democracy. It should have a presidential form of democracy; president being directly elected by the masses. The president choose his cabinet on the basis of competence, who must not be member of legislature, but approved by election commission. The ministers of this 'technocratic' cabinet must be backed by two policy making institutions; parliamentary committees and independent think tanks.
There must be complete separation of executive and legislative powers; which means the legislators should not be ministers, they should only be focusing on law making, in federal as well as provincial assemblies. The Civil Service must be given constitutional protection against any political interference and reprisal.
There must be decentralization of power, which means the local government must be established and empowered. Basic service delivery - land revenue, policing, health - with the exception of education must be the task of local government along with provincial.
I am a strong proponent of decentralization, however, I prefer education being a central subject, owing to the disastrous situation of education in Pakistan. The education ministry must be backed by provincial parliamentary committees in addition to federal parliamentary committee and independent think tanks. The education must be TOP priority of the gov't, hence must be allocated at least 20% of the budget. My premise is if Pakistan wants to get rid of all problems - deteriorating economy, fragmented society, extremism; poverty and social evils - it must provide free and quality education till Masters to all Pakistanis.
This is my view on how a good system of governance can work in Pakistan. What you have to say about it, please comment.
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Very nice but this has been a very serious matter in every age yet there is no solution. Given the privilege I have following points
. What You have suggested is the system functioning in United states of America. Nomination is made by the Party after that he stands as the presidential candidate after winning party elections. The President is directly elected through the electoral college, he selects his own cabinet with that he brings in 4000 thousand new executive members on board replacing the old ones. Center is entrusted with the few important powers including Defence, FR, Monetary, trade etc, and the states have their own constitutions and local government system. Congress is entrusted with legislation making, but also hold checks on President, but he has the veto power, he is supreme leader and commander of the Armed forces having the powers to declare war if he feels that US is unsafe.....can disregard all the objections of Congress. Independent judiciary is their to check all through the due process.
I like the system now I compare it with the Islamic Ideal form of government. Caliph is elected by a body of members who are good practicing Muslims with all the underlying meanings and candidate must have good qualifications like the one Hazrat Umar had or Mild Umar bin Abdul Aziz, and same are the qualifications for the electors or the ones who nominate Caliph. Caliph is supreme leader with a Shura, an advisory body whose members shall have the same qualifications, Caliph is under obligation to consult the body on all matters and decision of Shura is binding. As we have seen from the actual practices of Holy prophet PBUH who consulted his companions and regarded their opinion, Caliph is the supreme commander of the Armed forces with the powers to declare war and conclude peace including all the functions and actions which he deems fit for the betterment of community and his acts are in accordance with the Divine Law which is a check on his authority. Units are autonomous with caliph nominated Governor who acts as Caliph in the province. Now Caliph can also disregard the view of shura if he is of the view that the suggestions are contrary to The law. Independent judiciary is placed with powers as we have seen Caliphs before THE Qazi.
Now lets come to the Ethical ends of states: the US state stands on the social contract theory which maintains that there are certain natural or inherent rights: life, liberty property, security and protection. state is A higher form of association resulted from the contract and government are installed to pursue the ends engrained in the contract: life, liberty security. Hence state is means and so are the governments
Islamic Ideology too regards state and government as means and men as the end for whom everything exists Allah mentions it in the Quran many times.
But given the free will that the man has been granted with, there exists Divine law which holds checks both internally and externally. External conduct is regulated by the state in accordance with the divine law and internal by the Faith and various moral obligations attending Man,s faith. In Islamic system Laws are Divine which are eternal and unchanging and are designed accordingly that is to realize the ends both for this and life in here after.
While the Social contract theory regards morality as implicit but which in practice means, it does not exist! the source of law is the Supreme body; whose members are themselves the people in unlimited democracy as existed in Athens and which was emphasized by Rousseau, or the representatives of people compose that body as exists in the US. Laws are made in the pursuance of the contract theory which maintains there are certain natural rights of men, so the law too serves as a means and if it contradicts the Natural law theory it is null and void.
Now the Social contract theory is secular in nature which practically means it is concerned only with matters related to this life; here and there. So the laws can be made which can guarantee freedom in all aspects here and there, there is no limit to the freedom provided it is not against the man's natural rights and that it should be exercised with responsibility. So the freedom reaches the heights where it becomes Self contradictory, in this way the Self Evident rights or the natural rights lose their meaning thus both the state and the government starts exploiting ignoring the ethical ends because man has started demanding too much according to his free will: Un limited desires, hence violation of the contract theory, and those who form government serve their own interests and the interests of their groups, thus both the man and government forget contract. government just becomes an instrument serving the sectional interests while the state becomes a justification.
hence the man go back to the State of Nature where might is right rule exists and the man had no protection but he has unlimited desires to satisfy them he can go to any lengths. To over come these conditions states were found according to the Social contract theory and government instituted.
But Islamic Ideal system has the inherent checks. The system of government is designed accordingly but in practice it had been a failure with the lone exception of The Holy Prophet and Khulfa Rashdeen period.
The problem therefore is of the conflict B/w Actual and the Ideal. Therefore actual must follow the Ideal so long this is not done there can be no solution.
What is the best form of government, somebody asked Voltaire. He said ask the people they want democracy, ask the rich they want aristocracy only monarch want monarchy but it makes little difference to a poor man whether he is devoured by a lion or hundred rats.