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Power Sharing

The document discusses the concept of power sharing, emphasizing its importance in governance and the distribution of power among different government organs. It contrasts the experiences of Belgium and Sri Lanka, highlighting how Belgium successfully implemented power-sharing arrangements to maintain unity, while Sri Lanka's majoritarian approach led to conflict and division. The document also outlines various forms of power sharing and the challenges associated with it.

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7 views37 pages

Power Sharing

The document discusses the concept of power sharing, emphasizing its importance in governance and the distribution of power among different government organs. It contrasts the experiences of Belgium and Sri Lanka, highlighting how Belgium successfully implemented power-sharing arrangements to maintain unity, while Sri Lanka's majoritarian approach led to conflict and division. The document also outlines various forms of power sharing and the challenges associated with it.

Uploaded by

thiruselvamuzumaki
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CHAPTER 1

POWER SHARING
Definition of Power
Sharing

INTRODUCTI
ON TO Importance and
POWER Relevance
SHARING

Why is Power Sharing


Necessary?
WHAT IS
POWER
SHARING ?
DEFINITION

Power sharing means the


distribution of power
among the organs of the
government such as the
legislature, executive, and
judiciary.
LETS SEE HOW POWER SHARING
PLAYED A IMPORTANT R0LE IN TWO
NATIONS

1) BELGIUM
2) SRI LANKA
BELGIUM
(1950’S-1960’S)

Belgium is small
country in Europe
having borders with
France ,Netherlands,
Germany and
luxembourg
❑ 59 per cent lives
in the Flemish
region and
speaks Dutch
language
-->>40 PER CENT PEOPLE LIVE IN THE WALLONIA

REGION AND SPEAK FRENCH .


REMAINING 1 PER CENT OF THE BELGIANS
SPEAK GERMAN
REASONS OF CONFLICT
BETWEEN DIFFERENT
COMMUNITIES??
1. The minority French-speaking
community was relatively rich and
powerful.
This led tensions
between the Dutch- The tension between
speaking and the two communities
French-speaking was more acute in
communities during Brussel
the 1950s and 1960s.
WHAT HAPPENED
NEXT?
1. The Belgian leaders recognised the existence of
regional differences and cultural diversities.
Between 1970 and 1993, they amended their
constitution four times so as to work out an
arrangement that would enable everyone to live
together within the same country.
2. This was resented by the Dutch-speaking
community who got the benefit of economic
development and education much later.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

3. Many powers of the Central Government


have been given to State Governments of
the two regions of the country
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

4.Apart from the Central and the State Government,


there is a third kind of government. This ‘community
government’ is elected by people belonging to one
language community – Dutch, French and
German-speaking – no matter where they live. This
government has the power regarding cultural,
educational and language-related issues.
SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka is an island nation,
just a few kilometres off the
southern coast of Tamil Nadu.
.
SRI LANKA

It has about two crore people, about the same as in


Haryana. Like other nations in the South Asia
region, Sri Lanka has a diverse population
ETHNIC COMMUNITIES OF
SRI LANKA
Sri lankan
Sinhala
Tamil
speaking
speaking
(74%)
(13%)

Christian
Indian
Tamil Both tamil
speaking and
Sinhala
(5%)
(8%)
BEGINNING OF
MAJORITARIANISM
IN SRI LANKA
1) The leaders of the Sinhala community sought
to secure dominance over government by virtue
of their majority

▪ .
2) IN 1956, AN ACT WAS PASSED TO RECOGNISE
SINHALA AS THE ONLY OFFICIAL LANGUAGE,
THUS DISREGARDING TAMIL
3) ALL THESE GOVERNMENT MEASURES,
COMING ONE AFTER THE OTHER, GRADUALLY
INCREASED THE FEELING OF ALIENATION
AMONG THE SRI LANKAN TAMILS
4) Sinhala leaders was sensitive to their
Language and culture. They felt that the
constitution and government policies denied
them equal political rights, discriminated
against them in getting jobs and other
opportunities and ignored their interests
RESUL
T
There was intense fighting between
the government forces and the LTTE
in which thousands of civilians were
caught in the line of fire. The
government was also accused of
targeting civilians and destroying
entire villages.
International and United
Nations observers describe the
events that led to the defeat of the
LTTE in 2009 as a ‘bloodbath’.
It is suggested that in the final days of
the war, about 40,000 people had lost
lives.
The Sri Lankan government faced a
huge task of providing relief and aid to
the displaced and injured. The total
cost of the 26-year war is estimated to
be USD 200 billion.
LEARNING FROM
BELGIUM AND SRI LANKA
Both are democracies. Yet, they dealt with the question of
power sharing differently.

In Belgium, the leaders have realised that the unity of the


country is possible only by respecting the feelings and
interests of different communities and regions.

Such a realisation resulted in mutually acceptable


arrangements for sharing power

Sri Lanka shows us a contrasting example. It shows us that if a


majority community wants to force its dominance over others
and refuses to share power, it can undermine the unity of the
country.
BENEFIT Fosters Unity and Integration

S OF Promotes Political Stability

POWER Enhances Decision-Making

SHARIN Protects Minority Interests

G
FORMS OF POWER
SHARING
1.HORIZONTAL
DISTRIBUTION OF POWER
Power is shared among different organs of government, such as
the legislature, executive and judiciary.
VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF
POWER

Division of
Power
between Image
Center and
States
COMMUNITY-BAS
ED POWER
SHARING
Ethnic, Religious, Linguistic
Communities
Example of community government
can be found in European nation like
Belgium which has many ethnic
groups. This is a type of
Government where power is shared
between different
POWER SHARING AMONG
POLITICAL PARTIES

Sometimes this kind of sharing can be


direct, when two or more parties form
an alliance to contest elections. If their
alliance
Sometimesis thiselected, they
kind of sharing formwhen
can be direct, a two or more
parties form an alliance to contest elections. If their alliance is
coalition
elected, theygovernment andand
form a coalition government thus share
thus share
power.
power.
CHALLENGES AND
CRITICISMS
1) Risk of Political
Instability

2) Slow Decision-Making
Process

3) Difficulty in Accommodating
Diverse Interests
THANK YOU

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