Democracy and the Critical Role of Civil Society: The Lankan Experience
Democracy needs mechanisms for the civil society to express their interests and preferences, to influence policy, and to scrutinise and check the exercise of state power continuously, in between elections as well as during them. ‘Democracy’ has been manipulated and restricted to protect the interests and the privileges of the ruling elite using the state machinery. Thus, the gun, rather than the ballot, became the tool for many in their struggle for socio-economic justice.
by Dr Lionel Bopage
Introduction
( June 7, 2016, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) Democracy and Civil society are usually dependent on the constitutional space governments have designed to protect the interests and privileges of a certain segment of society. As such, a constitution may be suspended or superseded when it is found unable to protect the interests it was originally intended to safeguard. Generally, constitutional change arises in a society that is plagued with political crises. Only on rare occasions has the majority of citizens taken part in the process of constitutional development. With or without consultations, the ruling elite usually imposes their will upon society with or without constitutions.
This paper will first discuss the conceptual frameworks of democracy and civil society, and their interdependence. Next it will discuss the manner in which civil society has played a positive or negative role in safeguarding or endangering democracy in Sri Lanka. Then it will deliberate on the critical and positive role civil society would need to continue to play in the future, for the purpose of safeguarding Lanka’s democracy.
Concepts: Democracy and Civil Society
Democracy and Civil Society are complex conceptual constructs. Although these are theoretically vague, and idealistic, they embrace certain concrete political connotations. Civil society provides an enabling framework for democracy to function. At the same time, it also includes an intrinsic tension in the form of a fragile balance between private and public interests. This allows a plethora of interest groups to selectively use these constructs for achieving their utilitarian self-serving objectives. For example, Adam Smith’s conception of civil society is associated with a free market economy. However, his conception does not separate state and civil society as Marxists have done.
Democracy
Democracy is a nuanced concept. Depending on the stage of development of a society, democracy can take different forms. It can be direct, representative, liberal, industrial, bourgeois, proletarian, social democratic etc. Democracy is supposed to be a political system. A system in which governments should be held accountable to the people, and mechanisms exist for making it responsive to the peoples’ passions, preferences, and interests. A liberal democracy that Sri Lanka purports to be needs to provide for the rule of law. Then, protection of the right of individuals and groups to speak, publish, assemble, demonstrate, lobby, and organize to pursue their interests become an essential requisite.
