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Topic Discussion II
Building Public Trust
Elections & Legislatures
Room 1
(18 of 21 pages)
Right now in Mozambique we have serious cases of child rape, domestic violence,
prostitution all related to women and women's abuse issues. For instance this is why I am saying the parliamentarians
should be going down to the community level to the grass roots level to be discussing these issues with the women
so that they have the influence of the real situation. For instance with the electoral law there should have been
a big consensus mechanism within the parties in parliament. In the local elections we didn't have this consensus
mechanism when approving the electoral law for local elections and this brought us real problems in Mozambique
for local elections. This then brought about the election law that we are going to use now for the general elections
in 1999, which ha to be discussed and redrafted. Thank you this is what I wanted to just share with you. Sorry
for the translation.
Chair: We got two for one, and I want to thank you both if I may.
Speaker: So many viewpoints were put in the floor concerning a proposal to set some principles on women's
exercising their rights. There have been so many interventions but I ask myself with regard to Guatemala's case,
if there is the political system or regime is not credible, does not have any credibility and so far we have two
constitutional governments as you said but there is f52% abstention. Due to the signature of the Peace Accord between
the two sides this was in the establishment of a team commission representing the civil society under the government
including a commission which has made amendments to the election law. This law is isolating other parties or groups
with respect to isolating the ethnic groups therefore I have spoken of the ideology but we didn't deal with the
necessity of ethnic plurality.
If we are to be credible we have to give the right to others to join our efforts where without setting or marginalizing
any party. It is a historical problem. We have our constitution which is more advanced however it is just a copy
of the Western Constitutions. They fail to investigate into our historical reality. We should conduct transparent
elections if we do not change the political principles we would fail to change everything else.
There is a necessity that shows structural change, political structural change that should take into account the
ethnic situation in Guatemala. The proposal made in this floor that the emerging democratic countries or democracies
such as government or nongovernmental or international bodies which adopted democracy and which oversee democracies
emerging in some countries, there is a dire need to create and establish multicitizenship and multiparty system.
The participation of all citizens.
We have to define and determine the institutions to be billed to be established to consider the nature in all that
is secure and ensure independence and the rights taking into account cultural and ethnic considerations. We have
to determine the nature of the relationship between the government and civil society.
In Guatemala we have said that political parties ensure the electoral drive or campaign. Such a party does not
provide any definitive program after the elections. The people are tuned off and are exhausted now because all
the promises have never been fulfilled. Such points I have just raised should be taken into consideration when
we speak of emerging democracies. We are speaking of a realistic situation and I have three points.
Number one, the necessity of amending the laws in such a way as to ensure participation of all side or parties
concerned. Also we have to collectively work in order to guide our people to go on the right path and defend their
rights. Thank you.
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