Reflection TIME #03

DEMOCRACY

Democracy is one of the most preferred governmental systems. Literally, democracy is the form of government which is led by the eligible members of a state, political sovereignty is retained by the people and either exercised directly by citizens or through their elected representatives. Every people on the state play instrumental part in this system for the sake of the state. Most of the countries with the highest level of human development, such as Singapore, Korea, or US apply democracy as their governmental system. Democracy, by most people, is associated with the power to maintain stability. Indeed, democracy not just provide boon for the state. It also brings bane to the state. But, why is there still a lot of country use democracy as their governmental system?

The most vivid aspect from democracy is the representative government. Representative government involves the election of the leader who will both represent the whole state and lead the state or in other words, every people in the state must freely choose whoever candidate they want to vote. As we know that diversity in every state is inevitable, it implies that there would be an uneven distribution of citizens. Thus, it will lead the state having the majorities and minorities. In fact, the chosen candidate should be chosen due to the fact that majority of the people vote for them. It is good when the chosen leader able to control the state excellently in the sense he / she can address every person’s aspiration, but what will happen if the leader just support the majority, benefit the majority on the expense of minorities? The answer is quite obvious. Majority rules. In some developing country, the government rarely address minorities’ issues; somehow they underestimate minorities’ needs because maybe they think that majorities’ issues are more precious to be brought up. Apparently, it seems impossible to maintain integrity in such condition.

However, after reading the article by Mrs. Anita Inder Singh, I agree with her argument. Actually, it is the people themselves who choose their own leader and way of life. Democracy can be seen as a machine that opens our access to our own life. Both democracy and people can be reciprocally reinforcing. As democracy system gives the people freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of live and another freedom, we as the part of a state, should use our freedom to vote to most suitable candidate; A candidate that wouldn’t support only one side, a candidate that wouldn’t confine people’s freedom and a candidate that would address every issue, for the sake of our state.

In conclusion, basically democracy is a good form of government. Democracy doesn’t control people. People should control democracy instead. The future of the state lays down on the most important “controller” government, which are all the people on state. Whoever the representative should be able to bring up every problem from both sides, minority and majority, and avoid any majority sovereignty. Therefore, if it is realized, I believe that maintaining integrity is not a difficult thing to do.