Referendums

• Referendums
• A referendum is a direct or universal vote in which all voters vote on a particular issue or question. Through a referendum, people do not select their political representatives but express their opinions on a debatable or disputed issue. For example, whether there should be an election under a caretaker government or not. Some people may vote in favour of a caretaker government and others may vote against it.
• The referendum is a good democratic process. It facilitates greater participation of people in making governmental decisions. In most countries, the referendum is a part of the constitution. For instance, Australia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, Colombia, Croatia, Lithuania, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom etc. countries have provisions of the referendum. On the other hand, some countries do not have it. For example, Belgium, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Malaysia, Norway etc, countries do not practise the referendum.
• I don't understand why some countries do not accept the idea of a referendum. To me, a referendum is a vital democratic right. Why should I not have a say on important public issues?
• Many countries used referendums at different times. On 19 March 2011, a constitutional referendum was held in Egypt. In April 1993, voters of Eritrea cast ballots on whether to be a sovereign country or to remain with Ethiopia. The voters of Eritrea wanted an independent country for themselves. There were several referendums in Morocco relating to the Moroccan constitution. East Timor held a referendum on 30 August 1999. Voters had to choose whether they would become a special autonomous region within Indonesia or East Timor would become a sovereign independent country. Approximately, 79% of the voters wanted independence.
• Referendums took place in other countries too. These countries are Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand etc.
• Now, it is my country, Bangladesh.
• A constitutional referendum was held in Bangladesh on 15 September 1991. The issue was to choose either a presidential or a parliamentary form of government. The result was that the parliamentary form of government would be reintroduced. The President became the constitutional head of state and the prime minister became the executive head.
• From the constitution of Bangladesh, we lost three democratic rights. These are provisions of the referendum, caretaker government during the election and, "No Vote". The opposition parties raised their voices about the caretaker government but they didn't say anything about the referendum. The major opposition party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) repeatedly demanded the Caretaker government during the election because they wanted a free and fair election. I am shocked that they didn't say anything about the referendum. It may be so that they want to enjoy the absence of a referendum when they would govern the country. I think this attitude is not based on good moral values. They do not think about people's democratic rights. They want to avoid the trouble of referendum when they would hold the political power.
• It seems to me that politicians are replicas of kings. No ideal person could become a king. Kings could kill and persecute people recklessly. An honest Brahmin could not become a king. The kingship is full of crimes. Emperor Ashoka of India killed his 99 brothers to establish his position as king. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb killed his brothers to establish his kingship. Even the English monarchy contains stories of brutality and conspiracies. Personal gains were important factors for them. They did not give value to humanity.
• In the modern world, politicians are playing the same roles. They think of grabbing political powers only. Most of them are corrupt politicians. They have no patriotism, no ideology and no moral standard.
• In Bangladesh, some selfish and corrupt politicians erased the provision of the referendum from our Constitution through amendments and some others did not protest it. I consider all of them at the same levels.