Role of franchise in a democracy

By Neville Ladduwahetty-April 28, 2016, 9:38 pm 

Franchise is the bedrock of Democracy. The right of franchise is granted to those who qualify to participate in processes that involve the two forms of Democracy, namely, Direct and Indirect Democracy. The right of Franchise is the right to vote "directly" on issues related to the sovereignty of the People at Referenda, or "indirectly", in order to elect representatives to whom the People temporarily delegate their sovereignty. This enables the elected representatives to act on the People’s behalf, while protecting the Peoples’ sovereignty.

Beginning with the granting of Franchise to a few select citizens, the right of Franchise has over the years expanded its scope to what is now recognized as a Right, stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

(1) "Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives".

(2) "Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country".

(3) "The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures".

Universal adult Franchise was introduced in the U.K. in 1928 and in Sri Lanka in 1931. Exercising the Right of Franchise does not stop at casting the vote. The voter is expected to stay engaged and in fact participate in the processes of governance and make sure that his/her sovereignty is not usurped, but is in fact is protected.

FRANCHISE and SOVEREIGNTY

Provision for the citizens of Sri Lanka to exercise their Franchise directly and indirectly is provided for in Article 4(e) of the 1978 Constitution.

Article 4 (e) states:

"the franchise shall be exercised at the election of the President of the Republic and the Members of Parliament, and at every referendum by every citizen who has attained the age of eighteen years, and who, being qualified to be an elector as hereinafter provided, has his name entered in the register of electors".

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