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Insurgency, Globalization and Democracy in the Middle East and North Africa

By: Omar J. Candia Aguilar


The world could not imagine that the gerontodictadura that had been consolidated in the Middle East and North Africa which is going to collapse better "Domino effect." The insurgency began with the sacrifice of Mohamed Buazizi against arbitrary power, no one could imagine the overthrow of former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, after 24 years in power. Globalization and the feeling against the dictatorship genre that Egyptian people stand up and huge demonstrations being convened on January 28 "Friday the anger and freedom" where protests are consolidated, until February 11 Hosni Mubarak, then 30 years, delivers power to the Head of the Supreme Military Council. Protests have been manifested in different countries, but the "day of anger in Libya" suggests that the next would overthrow Muammar Gaddafi who has 42 years as "brotherly Libyan leader."

Clearly, in this case that globalization has strengthened the insurgency against autocratic governments, not only for the so-called "domino effect", but because it has been exporting subliminally, with all its imperfections, a form of government from the West whose main features are the alternation of power, human rights and the exercise of public liberties.

We can see, by the discourses and images of the protest, resistance and insurgency against the dictatorship and the economic crisis. However, in cultures where tradition is autocracy, given that most cases have been ruled by dictatorships in different variables, it is difficult to speak of democratic transitions.

On the other hand, we can not say that democracies are perfect and that is the way forward or the prototype of government that we impose on all mankind. We realize that democracy is imperfect but perfectible, that Western and Westernized countries is the least worst form of government, there are different types of democracy, and that under the principle of sovereignty of peoples, the different states Middle East and North Africa should choose the course or the model of government to consolidate.

Heraklit Krytyka Zmysłów

Some thoughts on the subject of congressional elections

By: Omar J. Candia Aguilar


As published in the last Latinobarometro only 14% of Peruvians has confidence in Congress, occupying last place in Latin America, below Nicaragua, Guatemala and Ecuador. If we start to rehearse a response to this unfortunate perception of support for an institution of great significance for the proper functioning of democracy, we can affirm, under the premise that "institutions are made by people," it is in the quality of the legislators who represent us. Obviously we can not generalize, there are congressmen who have served their duties diligently, but minor offenses (suspension) and low (excesses) converted scandals have filled the front pages of the press and television and radio publishers.

The supreme law in Article 90, has established that to be a Congressman only requires three conditions (i) be Peruvian by birth, (ii) be at least 25 years, and (iii) have the right to vote. Determining the Rules of the Congress, Article 2, that the Congress is the representative body of the nation, responsible for carrying out legislative functions of political control and the other established by the Constitution of the State. Ie our congressmen represent mainly perform functions, regulation, control and inter alia, appoint officials and approve the national budget and the general account.

As noted, prima face, it seems that there is no reason for consistency between the requirements that are required to be a congressman and the roles they play. Generating proposals exist to rethink the requirements for being elected to Congress. However, we must remember that in democratic states to vote those barriers were disappearing to achieve as part of the conquest of universal suffrage rights (active and passive), hence, that the vote based on census, in which they voted or were elected, only men who meet certain requirements of educational attainment, income and social class, is anachronistic and undemocratic.

therefore believe that the problem of the quality of the congress is not in the requirements for candidates, but in the absence of responsible political parties and solids that contribute to the "training" and "choice" in Tables The van has to represent, and most importantly, a true civic consciousness that allows the voter to be informed and choose Peruvian according to their criterion of consciousness, or the best candidates.