An HTML-version of this newsletter is available at http://www.fnf.org.ph/enewsletter/ltm052005.htm
************************************************************** Liberal Times Manila A monthly newsletter of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation’s Philippine Office ************************************************************** Dear friends of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, 30/5/2005 In last month’s issue, I wrote that working with young liberals and their organizations has always been a favourite occupation. In this sense, May has been particularly eventful and rewarding. The Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia, or YLDA, held their workshop on “Running a Successful Political Campaign” in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where I slipped into the role of the co-facilitator. During the five-day activity, 25 young activists from 12 countries presented issue-based and electoral campaigns. One main objective from our side was to teach the young activists that all good campaigns are based on strategic plans. In the end, the group laid the groundwork for YLDA’s own campaign promoting political rights for the youth. For more information go to www.yldasia.org. The day we got back from Indonesia, the Kabataang Liberal ng Pilipinas (KALIPI) held a youth forum at our premises in Makati City. Stormy weather did not prevent 70 young liberals from showing up and engaging in lively debates on the past, the present and the future of political youth activism. Just a few day later, I had a meeting with the KALIPI leadership where we discussed a series of joint projects such as educative activities aimed at promoting liberalism among the young generation, communications planning and media training. Next time you visit our premises you will note a new sign at our entrance: The office of YLDA is now under the same roof as the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) and the liberal Foundation. “This location is proof of the close relationship and the bonds of friendship that unite the liberal movement,” said Congressman Nereus Acosta, Ph.D., executive vice president of the Liberal Party (LP) and honorary chairman of KALIPI at the formal inauguration held on May 18, 2005 attended by many friends from the diplomatic corps, the media and the liberal family. For more information and pictures go to www.fnf.org.ph. “Legislative Initiatives on Political Party System Reforms,” was the topic of a workshop organized by our partners at the “National Institute for Policy Studies” (NIPS) on May 23, 2005 in Pasig City. The various pending bills in both Houses of Congress on political party reform were presented and discussed; such as those dealing with such vital issues as campaign financing, public funding of political organizations and the prohibition of political “turncoatism.” The speakers agreed that political reforms, and particularly the reform of the political party system, are crucial for improving governance and also economic development. Inspired by the workshop, I wrote a commentary, excerpts of which are attached to this note. You may find the full text at www.fnf.org.ph/liberalopinion/2005-05-30-faltering-democracy.htm Last but not least, I want to call your attention to what promises to be an informative and educative affair. While everyone agrees that call centers have become a booming industry in the Philippines, there is also concern that the dynamic growth of the outsourcing branch may not be sustainable. Tomorrow’s public forum organized by the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) and co-sponsored by the liberal Foundation will deal with this important issue. Check out www.fnf.org.ph for a detailed program. Secretary Florencio Abad of the Department of Education will be the keynote-speaker. “Butch,” as his many friends and admirers call him, has not only proven a capable secretary, he is also an eminent leader of Philippine liberalism. Thank you and kind regards (Dr. Ronald Meinardus) ************************************************************* The monthly Liberal Times Manila newsletter informs about activities of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in the Philippines and beyond. This issue has been sent to 1628 individuals and organizations. If you do not wish to receive our messages anymore, please return this note and put “unsubscribe” in the subject. More information on recent FNF-activities is waiting for you at www.fnf.org.ph. ************************************************************** Faltering Philippine Democracy (Excerpts) … In a democratic context, low popularity ratings and disenchantment with political leadership are not unusual. On the other hand, political rule is always bound by time-limits; elections give the people the opportunity to judge and replace leaders they dislike or find ineffective. In this sense, political elections assume a stabilizing role as they provide the opposing forces a chance to assume power in a constitutional manner. One crucial condition for this political stability is that political contenders play by the basic rules (usually codified in the constitution). Conceding defeat after the elections and acknowledging the winner is one important element in what may be termed the consensus of democrats. In the Philippines, this consensus does not exist. This deficiency becomes particularly visible after elections, as losing candidates have a hard time admitting defeat. ``You either win elections, or you are cheated,’’ is a popular explanation of this phenomenon in a country in which electoral fraud and vote-manipulation remain a depressing routine. Up to this very day, the opposition forces have refrained from publicly accepting their defeat in the presidential elections held well over a year ago. Politicians of the opposition constantly challenge the political legitimacy of the presidency. Worse still for the incumbent: Many Filipinos seem to believe that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cheated her way into the presidential palace in May 2004. In these days, the efforts of the opposition to undermine and eventually bring down the president are focused on allegations that members of the first family are on the pay of syndicates running illegal lottery. … The government has denied the allegations and characterized them as yet another plot in a long series of destabilization efforts. ``Destabilization’’ has become one of the buzz words in today’s Philippine political jargon. Typically, retired military officers who have seen better days and now perceive themselves as national saviors are at the center of the extra-constitutional schemes. Military interventions in domestic affairs have a long tradition in this country. But compared to the coup attempts in the 1980s, the more recent threats to the democratic constitutional order appear feeble. While political observers in Manila agree that today there is no imminent danger of a military junta taking power with popular support, several commentators concur with what influential Filipino columnist Amando Doronila has recently termed ``an increasing nostalgia for strongman rule.’’ As a foreigner actively engaged in promoting democracy in this country, I disagree. While opinion polls show that four out of five Filipinos say that ``democracy may have problems,’’ the same polls also reveal that an overwhelming majority believes that democratic governance is ``better than any other form of government.’’ The available empirical data show that the Filipino masses are not craving for a fascist dictator (they have had enough of that during the rule of Ferdinand Marcos). They are longing for strong, effective, and at the same time, accountable political leadership. In this regard, the president has obviously not met popular expectations. … Poor governance is not only an issue with the Philippine public, the media and the opposition. The quality of government (or the lack of it) and its detrimental effects for society are dealt with in a recent survey published by the World Bank entitled Governance Matters IV. Governance Indicators 1996-2004. The study evaluates the governments of 209 countries and rates their performance in six governance related fields: human rights, political stability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, the rule of law and finally the control of corruption. For the Philippines, the report contains only bad news. Compared with 2002 and 1998, the scores in all six categories went down in 2004. The drop was particularly sharp regarding the rule of law and political stability, where this Southeast Asian nation is ranked in one category with countries like Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan and Haiti. The World Bank report’s main point is that governance has a direct impact on the economy. In short: Good governance is a precondition for economic advancement and higher living standards _ and not the other way around. The message for the politicians is clear: if they want to improve the economic conditions of their constituents _ and one would want to assume that this is the ultimate goal of all political forces _ then they must start with bringing their house into order politically. In this regard, the political class in the Philippines still has a very long way to go. © The Korea Times, May 27 2005 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Internet and Democracy Across Asia: MAY 2001 Online Trends in Governance, Civil Society and Media More information at: http://www.e-democracy.org/do Rule: No more than two posts a day per participant. To SUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNSUBSCRIBE, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/do-asia/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
