Election campaign in Tamilnadu:
Election campaign in Tamilnadu:
- Select and Elect People's Candidates!
- Assert and affirm Right to Recall!
- Put an end domination of political parties in electoral process!
- Establish people's committees in every constituency!
I was reviewing the process
I was reviewing the process above and would like to share opinions to better understand and develop on this concept.
I believe that the democratic process priority order should be:
It is important that people's consistencies are formed and developed so a community based, working people's agenda can be drawn up first and foremost. Then comes the selection/election of people's candidates, who are merely responsible for implementation of that agenda.
I understand that there is a bit of the: "which comes first – chicken or egg" scenario here. As there will need to be some leadership and organisation in establishing people's committees in every constituency. However I feel that out of this process; as work to establish people's committees takes root, led by community activists and the vanguard party, communist party etc; those individuals doing this work – of helping develop a democratic people's agenda, become suitable for selection.
I feel there is a danger where people democratically select/elect candidates where a people's agenda is absent. There is no testing ground for selection/election candidature. The danger of it becoming a popularity contest, which is what we have today with no agenda set by people and RS-lakhs poured into marketing candidates that serve selective corporate (i.e. ruling class) interests.
In my opinion: The PEOPLE'S AGENDA formulated democratically by working people, from a given constituency, in their interest, MUST COME FIRST. Then we look towards selection and election of the right person for the job of implementing that People's Agenda. Where the working class become the rulers:- that is the key distinction between today's undemocratic capitalist system and tomorrows democratic socialist system. The Agenda that drives society is dictated by the working class and not some disconnected corporate sponsored self-serving politician winning a popularity contest.
The democratic formulation of a People's Agenda must come first – then we (the people) democratically decide who is suitable to implement that agenda.
Any other thoughts on this?
Dear friend,
When you talk
Dear friend,
When you talk of people selecting and electing candidates from among their midst, you are already referring to a new system and political process that does not exist at this time. Parties of vested interests select the candidates in the existing democracy. To agitate for and bring into being a qualitatively different political process is itself part of the 'people's agenda'.
The question that emerges from the striving of the people to end their marginal role is not "which comes first?" — but rather, what are all the things that have to change for this to happen?
The only safeguard against elections becoming popularity contests is for broad masses of people to become political and assert their rights, including the right to set the agenda.