Bhutan takes lead in dialogue on democracy in Asia.Byline: ANI Paro (Bhutan), Oct.15 (ANI): Asia has the promise of democracy with democratically elected Governments There is some question as to whether a given election is "democratic" and whether the regime resulting from a given election is a "democracy". Proponents and opponents of certain regimes wrangle over whether the government was "democratically elected", particularly when another country in all of South Asia This article is about the geopolitical region in Asia. For geophysical treatments, see Indian subcontinent. South Asia, also known as Southern Asia and in many other parts of the region. Countries in Asia have adopted different systems and models of democracy that have been influenced by their historical past. Countries like Bhutan and Maldives, two of the world's youngest democracies, have forged new paths, one responding to the vision of its King and the other to the yearning of its people. Democracies in Asia need to grow organically in line with local traditions, cultures and environment. Inclusive civic participation to expand the base of democracy and empower those without a voice is vital for deepening and sustaining democracy in Asia. These were among the findings of the three-day dialogue on democracy in which 12 Asian countries Noun 1. Asian country - any one of the nations occupying the Asian continent Asian nation country, land, state - the territory occupied by a nation; "he returned to the land of his birth"; "he visited several European countries" participated with a mix of government delegates, parliamentarians, academics, civil society participants and media representatives. The first Regional Conference on Deepening and Sustaining Democracy in Asia, organized by the Centre for Bhutan Studies on behalf of the Royal Government of Bhutan and the United Nations Development Programme, concluded today in Paro, Bhutan. Speaking at the inauguration INAUGURATION. This word was applied by the Romans to the ceremony of dedicating some temple, or raising some man to the priesthood, after the augurs had been consulted. It was afterwards applied to the installation (q.v. of the Conference, Bhutan's Prime Minister Jigmi Y. Thinley emphasized that "democracies are seen as the best arrangement for protecting human freedom." He also stated that: "No sector of the society is irrelevant to a discussion on democracy, for democracy and good governance The terms governance and good governance are increasingly being used in development literature. Governance describes the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented). are not and cannot be the function of governments and politicians alone." He underlined the importance of the "capacity of the people to choose their representatives wisely and to hold them responsible and accountable." He also explored how democracy and democratic societies must take into account the larger interest, which in Bhutan is expressed through the philosophy and goal of Gross National Happiness Gross National Happiness (GNH) is an attempt to define quality of life in more holistic and psychological terms than Gross National Product. The term was coined by Bhutan's King Jigme Singye Wangchuck in 1972. . All participants agreed that the basic guiding principles of democracy - such as freedom of expression, inclusive participation and equal access to justice - are common to all. Each country must develop its own tools and mechanisms to put these principles into action. "Because the democracy a nation chooses to develop depends on its history and circumstances, countries will necessarily be "differently democratic", said Ajay Chhibber, UN Assistant Secretary General and UNDP's Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the inaugural ceremony. "But in all countries democracy is about much more than a single decision. It requires a deeper process of political development to embed em·bed also im·bed v. em·bed·ded, em·bed·ding, em·beds v.tr. 1. To fix firmly in a surrounding mass: embed a post in concrete; fossils embedded in shale. democratic values and culture in all parts of society-a process that by definition must be always renewed... Democracy has a chance to succeed in Asia provided the roots grow deeper", he added. In this context, several participants echoed the U.S. President Barack Obama who, in his recent address to the UN General Assembly, said: "Democracy cannot be imposed on any nation from the outside. Each society must search for its own path rooted in the culture of its people and in its past tradition". Another facet facet /fac·et/ (fas´it) a small plane surface on a hard body, as on a bone. fac·et n. 1. A small smooth area on a bone or other firm structure. 2. of democracy that the participants focused on was the move by several countries in Asia to take democracy to the grassroots to widen its base and to make it more inclusive. There was consensus on the need to devolve devolve v. when property is automatically transferred from one party to another by operation of law, without any act required of either past or present owner. The most common example is passing of title to the natural heir of a person upon his death. greater powers to local governments, to provide them with the necessary funds, responsibilities and human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. and to make them more accountable. While some countries like India, Indonesia and the Philippines have a tradition of sub-national democracy, others like the Maldives, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan are re-affirming their commitment to this approach. This forum provided an opportunity to share experiences and to learn from each others' successes and failures. In his concluding remarks, Prime Minister Thinley stated that the conference was "a celebration of the spirit of democracy, of the good and enlightened society that it is expected to promote - of the Gross National Happiness that it must help realize". The conference was a first step in the dialogue on democracy, and to carry the momentum forward, it was agreed that it should be pursued. Prime Minister Thinley announced that the Government of Maldives has offered to host the next regional dialogue on democracy next year. India was represented by H E Pawan Kumar Bansal Pawan Kumar Bansal (born 16 July, 1948) is a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Chandigarh constituency and is a member of the Indian National Congress (INC) political party. Studied in Government College, Sector 11, Chandigarh . , Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources, and other eminent civil-society leaders. (ANI) Copyright 2009 Asian News International The Asian News International (ANI) agency provides multimedia news to China and 50 bureaus in India. It covers virtually all of South Asia since its foundation and presently claims, on its official website, to be the leading South Asia-wide news agency. (ANI) - All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion