The 10 Questions on Democracy

1. 10 Question on
Democracy

2. 1
Democracy in huge countries and societies means
representation of all people. How do we
influence, who is representing us? Of course we have the right
to vote. But who select the ones for whom we can vote? Do
we have a possibility to influence the selection of these
candidates – for example in the nomination processes of
different political parties? If not, or not really, there is
something wrong the system.

3. 2
participation of people in
Democracy means
political decision making. Are you asked to
participate somehow in decisions, for example on a fair tax
system, on environmental policy or on the development of the
public health system by the candidates for the major political
decision making positions, the candidates for president, vice-
president, senators, congressmen? Do they stand for such
decisions and ask you to vote for them because you share their
positions? If not, there is something wrong with the system.

4. 3
Democracy means respect for human rights and
the protection of the rights and interests of
disadvantaged groups and minorities by a strong
state. If somebody disturbs the interests of
powerful or rich people in the Philippines, can she
or he be sure to be protected by the state when
they try to push her away or even kill her? If not
there is something wrong with the system.

5. 4
self-determination and
Democracy means, the promotion of
freedom of each citizen. To ensure this the principle of
subsidiarity has to be followed, which assigns as many as possible rights and
powers and competences to the lowest level of society and administration –
where the citizens have more direct participation – and obliges the respectively
next higher level to support the lower level in using these rights. How do you
see the distribution of rights, power and competences between Barangays,
Municipalities, Cities, Provinces and the Central State in the Philippines? Does it
follow the principle of subsidiarity? And do these lower levels of democratic
government also have substantial parts of public revenues to enable them to
honour their right and obligations? If not, there is something wrong with the
sytem.

6. 5
Democracy means control
of power, which first of
all is control of executive power. If your
president, governor or mayor misuses their power for their
own private business or even for the violation of human
rights of other citizens – can you be sure that they will be
stopped but the parliament or respective councils and by the
courts? And can you be sure that they will be forced to resign
if they continue with their wrongdoings? If not, there is
something wrong with the system.

7. 6
Democracy means equal
value of each person
and therefore equality of
opportunities. Do people – for example – have the
same opportunities to influence political decisions or to be
selected as democratic representatives on national or local
level? If not, if these opportunities are connected to weahlth
and power and the connection to the so-called dynasties,
there is something wrong with the system.

8. 7
Democracy will function only if leaders
are elected with regard to their moral
qualification, their competence and
their qualification to take decisions.
Are you ready to vote for the most
qualified among candidates or will you
give your votes to an idel, a dream, a
name?

9. 8
Participation in decision making – one of the constituting
elements of democracy – needs people with sufficient level
of information and understanding of the respective issues.
Are you ready to spent enough time to collect such
information and to develop opinion based on
information? And do you resquest actively such information
from your local media – radio stations, papers, TV – when
you realize that they do not provide enough or only distorted
information on important issues?

10. 9
Participation in democratic processes needs commitment.
Are you ready to invest time and
energy into your participation in the
democratic processes, be it in form of control of
the elected representatives, active participation in thematic
decision making and personnel selection on political parties,
readiness to take over yourself the role of a representative?

11. 10
Democracy needs ethical standards of activists and leaders. It
needs absolute willingness to respect the rules and laws, a
minimum of fairness between political opponents and
competitors and the readiness of leaders to serve first of all
the people and the country – more than their personal
interests. Are you ready to be an active democrat, with
knowledge and competence, commitment and
willingness to serve? Because democracy needs
democrats.

12. Are you ready?