At a time when citizens around the world are showing a growing disenchantment with politicians, a new publication explains how people are increasingly turning to other ways of influencing their governments. Direct Democracy: The International Handbook has been produced by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and will be launched with a keynote speech by Deputy Chairperson Ms Thoko Mpumlwana of the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa during a conference in Pretoria, South Africa on 4 December 2008.
Examples of direct democracy can be found all over the world, although the way it is applied and the name given to it may vary from country to country. Direct democracy can be identified in four different forms which are referendums, giving people a direct vote on a specific political, constitutional or legislative issue; citizens’ initiatives which allow people to force a vote on an issue; agenda initiatives that enable people to place an issue on the government’s agenda; recall procedures which set a framework for citizens to vote to remove an elected official from office.
International IDEA’s Handbook uses case studies from Africa, Latin America and Europe to show how citizens are using these mechanisms to make themselves heard while at the same time enriching the working of representative democracy. It analyses how each method can be used to shape decisions and gives a step by step guide for applying best practice to local conditions. This includes the need for clear rules for example about collecting signatures for the initial petition, minimum turnout, and whether or not a decision will be binding.
“All too often democratic institutions are seen as alienated from people, unrepresentative and lacking inclusiveness,” says Edward Shalala of International IDEA. “This book uses examples from a range of democracies to show how citizens can have and exert power between parliamentary elections, to bring decision-making closer to the people.”
The subjects used in direct democracy vary greatly around the world. In Europe and Australia, referendums are most often conducted on issues of extraordinary political or constitutional significance such as details of the European Union Treaty, while in a single ballot in Arizona, USA, voters were asked their opinion on 19 different propositions including immigrant rights, smoking bans and same-sex marriage.
As well as providing a comparative guide to direct democracy in 214 countries and territories around the world, the Handbook highlights six case studies including Uganda, whose constitution has provision for all four types of direct democracy. About half the country’s registered voters took part in referendums on their preferred political system in 2000 and 2005. In the first, 91% supported a single ‘Movement’ political system; in the second, conducted under a ‘Movement’ Government, the majority (90%) had swung in favour of a multi-party system.
“What makes this book different is the in-depth analysis of how the methods have been applied to a variety of democratic institutions,” says Paul Graham, Executive Director of the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa). “It means that by comparing what’s done where, and what works where, we can get an idea of how to shape our own processes – here in Africa, or anywhere in the world.”
The book acknowledges the potential downsides of direct democracy such as its use by authoritarian governments to ‘legitimise’ their own actions, or the rich and powerful using it to exert influence. Yet it points out that it is generally popular in the countries that use it most. It can help resolve difficult political problems when the governing party is divided, and has assisted countries moving from dictatorship to democracy, as in Chile in 1978.
The information and guidance is aimed at policy makers, including parliamentarians, practitioners, and a range of people interested in enhancing democratic processes, from those involved in civic society and non-governmental organizations to academics. The book does not offer definitive answers, but provides the information and analysis to enable citizens to decide if, when and which tool might be appropriate for their own circumstances.
For more information, contact:
Shana Kaiser, International IDEA
Tel: +46 70 429 3719
Email: s.kaiser@idea.int
