Power sharing

Class X Subject: CIVICS

Topic: Power sharing
Why to study power sharing?
• To know the meaning of Power sharing
• Understand how Power sharing takes place in a
democracies like Belgium and Sri-Lanka
• Analyze how lack of power sharing leads to
social conflicts as in Sri Lanka
• Sensitizing them the need of power sharing in
democracy
 Power sharing
Meaning of power sharing
• Sharing of power among different people, parties, social ,
religious and linguistic groups that usually happens in
democracy

Ethnic composition in Belgium

In the country
• 59% Dutch speaking
• 40% French speaking
• 1% German speaking

In BRUSSELS
• 80% speak French
• 20 % speak Dutch
 Linguistic compositions in Sri Lanka
74% Sinhala speaking(mostly Buddhists)
18% Tamil speaking( Hindus or Muslims)

Sri Lankan Tamils (13%) Indian Tamils(5%)

7% are Christians (both Tamils and Sinhalas)
So, Sinhala speaking people are the linguistic as
well as the religious majority in Sri Lanka, Which
practice Majoritarianism in Sri Lanka
 Meaning of Majoritarianism
‘A belief that majority community should rule a
country which ever way they want disregarding
the needs and aspirations of the minority
communities

For example; The majority Sinhala community

impose their rule on minority Tamils in Sri Lanka
without respecting their needs and aspirations
 Majoritarian policy of Sri Lankan govt...

1. In 1956 an Act was passed that recognized

Sinhala as the official language
2.Govt. follows a preferential policy to favor
Sinhalas in university positions and govt.
jobs
3. A new constitution declares Buddhism as
state religion
 Consequences on Tamils
• Feeling of alienation increased among the Sri
Lankan Tamils
• They feel Sinhala leaders not sensitive towards
their language and culture
• Constitution and govt. policies deny them equal
rights and opportunities to them
• They are discriminated against by Sinhala's
• Hence, the relation between Sinhalas and the
Tamils strained
 What did Sri Lankan Tamils do?
• They organized parties and struggld for
recognition of Tamil as an official language
• Demand for regional autonomy to provinces
populated by Tamils
• Demanded equality of opportunity in education
and jobs
• By 1980s they started demanding an
independent Tamil Elam (state, in N&E part of Sri
lanka)

Q. What is the full form of LTTE? ( FOR YOU TO PONDER)..

 Civil war
• The increasing distrust between the two
communities led into a civil war
• Thousands of people were killed
• Many Tamils were forced to leave the country
as refugees
• Socio-economic and cultural life of the country
was terribly disturbed

(
 Accommodation in Belgium
• Situations, and arrangement made in Belgium are
different from that of Sri Lanka
• Belgian leaders recognized the differences and
diversities in the country
• Between 1970 and 1993 constitution was
amended four times to accommodate everyone
live together
 Constitutional changes b/w 1970 &1993
Constitution prescribes that:
• Number of Dutch and French speaking ministers
in the central govt. will be equal
• Some special laws requires the support of both
communities
• No decision can be taken by any community
unilaterally
• Many powers of the central govt. were given to
the state governments
 Continues………
• Now, state governments not subordinate to the
central government
• Brussels has a separate govt. with equal
representation from both communities

Que. Can anybody tell why the French accept equal

representations in Brussels (even, though majority in Brussels)
( FOR YOU TO PONDER)….
 Why power sharing is desirable ?
There are two set of reasons :

1. Firstly, it reduces the possibility of conflicts

between social groups leading to violence and
political instability. Leads to disunity of the country.
This is called prudential* reason

2. Secondly, because it is the very spirit of

democracy
In democracy powers can’t vest in one hand, it is
exercised by people. A legitimate government is one
which consults people in the decision making,
people participate and have a stake in the
government. This one is called Moral reasons
 Forms of Power Sharing
Power sharing takes different form in democracy
1. Horizontal Power Sharing: Sharing of
power among different organs of government
that is executive, legislature and judiciary. This is
called separation of power which results in
balance of power so that no single organ can
enjoy unlimited power. Here, executive exercises
power but remains responsible to legislature.
Judges are appointed by executive but they (
judges) can check the laws passed by legislature
2. Vertical Power Sharing:
sharing of power among different levels of
government i.e central government, state
government and Local government. This is called
division of power . This kind of arrangements are
found in a federal state.
3. Power sharing among different social
groups:
Such as the linguistic and religious groups for example
the community government in Belgium,
and such arrangement is also done in India through
reserved constituencies for diff. social groups
4. Power sharing among political
parties pressure groups and
movements:
In democracy various political parties contest
election some have stakes in government as a
ruling party or parties as in case of a coalition
government , others as opposition parties
Many such groups as pressure groups and interest
groups of traders, businessmen, employees, etc
claim stakes in the government (by indirectly
participating or pressurizing the government
 Test your understanding
Q. WHAT LED TO ETHNIC TENSIONS IN BELGIUM? WHY WAS
IT MORE ACCUTE IN BRUSSELS?
Q.WHAT IS MAJORITARIANISM? WHAT MAJORITARIAN
STEPS WERE TAKEN BY THE SINHALA GOVT IN SRI LANKA?
Q. WHY IS POWER SHARING DESIRABLE? GIVE TWO
REASONS.
Q. DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN VERTICAL FORM AND
HORIZONTAL FORM OF POWER SHARING.
Q. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE SYSTEM OF ‘ CHECKS AND
BALANCES”?