Power in the hands of the people

We demand a true democracy where the people have power to not only select but to de-select their representatives. This is the only way by which they can keep the banner of accountability high. To achieve this, we need a new constitution that empowers the people to recall their MPs. The current dispensation only allows people to vote once every four years, and after voting, their elected representatives vanish only to be seen in four years’ time during another election time. And they cannot be changed or held accountable in any way until the next election. With power in the hands of the people, the people should be able to remove their leaders/representatives who are either non-performing or no longer representing their interests.

People power to amend, review or change the constitution

The constitution represents or is supposed to represent the spirit of the people. Therefore the change in any parts of the constitution or indeed the whole constitution should not be the prerogative of the executive or parliament alone. There must be a process by which the people themselves can initiate a process to change the constitution or indeed propose laws for the country. For instance, if a set number of people are able to gather signatures among themselves, it should be capable of triggering the law-making mechanism of the state.