PARLIAMENT AND DEMOCRACY - Inter-Parliamentary Union

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powerful sectional interests and lobbies than to their own electors. Correcting such an image is largely in the hands of parliamentarians themselves, and is not the purpose of this book. What it can do, however, is to give concerned citizens a more rounded picture of what takes place in parliaments, and of the changes many of them have been instituting so as to work in a more effective and democratic way. In this the book can help reform movements in particular countries to become more informed, by providing examples of initiatives which are actually taking place elsewhere. Progressive change in parliaments partly comes from within, from their own members, partly from determined and informed pressure from without, in society at large. It is hoped that the Guide will also be of interest to international organisations involved in helping strengthen parliaments, as well as to researchers and students of parliamentary practice. In order to make it as accessible to as wide a readership as possible, it is written throughout in a jargon-free style. To keep the book from becoming overlong, while maintaining a comprehensiveness of coverage, the text is punctuated throughout with references to websites which can provide more detailed information on the issues covered. In this respect the Guide points beyond itself to a much wider body of knowledge and experience than can be comprehended within the covers of a single volume. There will also be a parallel electronic version available on the IPU website, with which readers can interact. Inter-Parliamentary Union The parliamentary contribution to democracy Before we can identify the parliamentary contribution to democracy we need first to be clear what we understand ‘democracy’ to mean. In brief, democracy is both an ideal and a set of institutions and practices. As an ideal, it expresses two very simple principles: first, that the members of any group or association should have the determining influence and control over its rules and policies, through their participation in deliberations about the common interest; second, that in doing so they should treat each other, and be treated, as equals. These principles are applicable from the smallest group up to the largest state; how effectively they are realised in practice is the touchstone of how democratic any association can claim to be. Introduction I 3
4 I PARLIAMENT AND DEMOCRACY IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY At the level of the modern state these democratic principles are only realised through a complex set of institutions and practices, which have evolved over time and continue to do so. These include: a guaranteed framework of citizen rights; institutions of representative and accountable government; an active citizen body or civil society; and a number of mediating institutions between government and citizens, among which political parties and the media are the most important. Although parliaments belong most obviously to the second, governmental, set of institutions, they also have a key role to play in relation to the others. This is what makes them the central institution of a democracy. Citizen rights For the people to have any influence over the laws and policies to which they are subject requires the guarantee of basic rights: to express themselves freely, to associate freely with others, to vote for their representatives in free and fair elections, and so on. It is this framework of rights that also secures for them the further democratic principle of being treated as equals without discrimination. These rights may need protecting for vulnerable or unpopular groups even when the infringement of them has majority support. While respect for these rights is the responsibility of all citizens, it is the particular responsibility of parliament as the legislative power to ensure that their formulation and mode of protection in practice conform to international human rights standards, and that they are not undermined by other legislation, including that applicable to residents who do not have full citizenship. Nowadays, most citizens in both developed and developing countries regard economic and social rights as being as important a component of their basic rights as civil and political ones; how to protect these effectively for all sections of their population is one of the main challenges confronting parliaments in the present age of globalisation, where there is an erosion of national sovereignty. Institutions of representative and accountable government A second dimension of democracy consists in the institutions of representative and accountable government, which together determine the laws and policies for society and secure respect for the rule of law. Within the traditional separation of powers – between the executive, legislature and judiciary – parliament as the freely elected body holds a central place in any democracy. It is the institution through which the will of the people is
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■ the fixed office; An accessible
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■ collaborating with NGOs in loca
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ned against excessive reductions in
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An accessible parliament I 81 estab
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■ a public record available on li
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case in Switzerland, the country wi
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An effective parliament (I): The na
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Where parliaments lack capacity thr
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that the Senate, the House of Commo
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consideration of a bill more effect
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National Assembly is currently in t
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Oversight through parliamentary que
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A case-study of oversight: security
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Anti-terrorist legislation An effec
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An effective parliament (II): Parli
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Japan’s ODA is effectively reachi
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8. Facing the future Facing the fut
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Figure 8.1: Sources of Parliamentar
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Facing the future I 187 State: give
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and also to allow for increased par
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strengthening of both legislative a
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As regards the practicability and c
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3. Technology assessment. This has
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Australia Austria Belarus Belgium B
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Organization’s programmes aimed a
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MS. MARTA LAGOS CRUZ-COKE Executive
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MS. DULCE MARIA SAURI RIANCHO Membe
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Commonwealth Parliamentary Associat
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Non-governmental organisations Cent
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Index Note: Page numbers in bold in
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types of, 8, 15-17, 69 voter partic
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Myanmar, 176 Namibia, 77, 110 Natio
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Sweden, 63, 75, 110, 112, 165 gende
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