(4TH of a series)
POWER SHARING IN LEBANON AND INDIA
The principle of power sharing is practiced in Lebanon where there is an almost equal number of Christian and Muslims living together in cities and rural areas. As we may still recall, Lebanon was a powder key due to ethnic conflicts about 20 years ago.
Because of institutionalized/legislated power sharing, among ethnic communities conflicts between them have subsided and there is no more move to have two separate states for Muslims and Christians. Lebanon today stands own as a model for Christian-Muslim co-existence in a working pluralistic society.
May we strongly suggest to Pres. GMA to send a delegation including academicians to Lebanon to study the workings of Muslim-Christian power sharing and adapt to our Mindanao situation whatever is practicable into our social-political system? This writer had the rare opportunity to observe firsthand the workings of multi-religious pluralistic society in India, the world’s largest democracy in 1962-64 as a government of India scholar. That was only 14 years after the partition of British India into the Republic of India and East and West Pakistan.
There was terrible bloodshed to scores of thousands in the process in one of the largest human migration in history. But even then many Muslim opted to remain in India dominated by 84% Hindus. About 100 million Muslims (10% of India) today live in harmony with the Hindus because of institutionalized power sharing. The government of India follows the British system, which has a head of state. A Muslim or a sheik is usually elected as president of India on a rotation basis while the members of the parliament select the Prime Minister.
CHRISTIAN SOCIAL DEBT
Since injustice has been inflicted for half a century, the post errors can only be corrected by allocating more qualified Muslims and Lumads elective and appointive positions. The impact of the above is straightforward, simple. Alone, it could build bridges of sincerity, confidence, goodwill and trust.
The above policy does not cost the government of a single centavo. This policy should and must be done even before the resumption of peace talks. For it granted after talks, its impact will hollow.
PROPORTIONATE ELECTIVE POSITIONS
We strongly feel that the better option will be to legislate the legal basis for proportionate positions including contractual labourers, et al anchored on a sound moral basis of equity. For example, if the indigenous population (IP) is 10%, its representation in a 12-member provincial board should be 1.2 per term and 2 for every 5 years. Election for an IP seed for the provincial board should contented only among IP’s propose should be followed from the barangay position up to the House of the Representative and Senate.
(to be continued...)
