| Chapter 2. | The Evolvement of Democracy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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With modern communications technology such as interactive TV or video conferencing on a large scale, it is possible to create an electronic parliament. Parliamentarians will be able to talk to and see each other, committee meetings can be held and the whole parliament can get together. While this takes care of the oral parliamentary communication, the flow of all written traffic of a parliament can be done by computers, printers, etc. The fundamental change would be that parliamentarians would live in their riding or election district and make working with the constituents a permanent part of their parliamentary activities. This can be done in town hall meetings, all sorts of discussion groups, phone-ins and personal contacts with the citizens. Thus the condition of ‘more democracy' becomes a reality because people can now participate in the political process and they are heard. It's quite possible that the political party system could change over to the e-parliament. However, since it has resisted minor changes or reforms in the past, it is doubtful that this change will ever come. Still the window is open. Other reasons like party ideologies, policies and the hierarchical party structure demanding discipline and obedience of its members will also prevent this change. For these reasons - elected members of the e-parliament should be independent and self employed. and operate like entrepreneurs in the free marketplace. After all, this basic feature of capitalism works very well. The parliamentarian of the e-parliament, having access to the government and administration, can, on the one hand furnish all the information the constituents want and need. On the other hand he or she can obtain all the information required for the consensus seeking process in parliament. This interactive role of the e-parliament will create a ‘TRUE DEMOCRACY' because the people can now participate in the political process. This is the basic essential for ‘More Democracy'. In the TRUE DEMOCRACY system the e-parliament has the power of the state and the government is fully accountable to this body This doesn't diminish the role of the government. While the e-parliament solves many problems of the nation, it is the task of the government to give the nation leadership for needed reforms and guidance into the future. The members of the e-parliament are, trough their election, accountable to the people, while the government is accountable to the e-parliament.
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