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    "id": 491281,
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    "content": "policy. But for a society that is bigger and more sophisticated, we came to the conclusion that we better participate through representatives. But there was a rider to that. In every democratic constitution, there is a rider to it. The rider to it is that in the final analysis, citizens are sovereign and can participate through a referendum. Madam Temporary Speaker, those of us who are aware of current international affairs, there is one nation on the face of this earth called Switzerland. Switzerland is a nation where best practices are participation and best uses referenda for participation. In Switzerland, they have cantons; and these cantons are represented more or less by something like a council of states at the centre of about seven or eight persons who represent all the cantons. They are in charge of various departments or what we might call Ministries in Switzerland. Now, the Swiss do not elect a President as we do, but from among these eight, the presidency rotates every year. So, every year, you have a president in that council state. The idea that one man is ruling you for too long a period of time does not arise and, therefore, it minimizes competition, rivalry, agony and pain in terms of choice of this one man, control of this one person and an anxiety to get to that seat. Now, I think that for an ethnically divided society like ours or for a culturally heterogeneous society like ours, this is something that we need to learn from so that we do not begin making the mistake over and over again to the detriment of our development and national cohesion, therefore delaying the solution of the problem. I am saying this because as we discover more minerals, the old assumption that the colonialists left with us; that there are only certain areas which are high potential, and this area or areas which have a lot of agriculture are the only productive areas. The whole thing might be reversed in about five or 10 years and then we shall be wondering where control of power should be located. I think we better address this issue much earlier and come up with a much more civilized, accepted and participatory process of governing ourselves; allowing the people to have more say. I am saying this because when it comes to minerals, if we go the Middle East way where the control of mineral resources is left to the hands of a few people or a few companies, injustices will arise in this nation of untold proportions. This is because the amount of wealth that arises from the exploration of minerals is enormous. Now, in the Middle East, there is what they call “Sheikhs” and “Sheikhdoms” and a kind of a feudal system. The rest of the society depends on the benevolence of these Sheikhs and Sheikhdoms. At the material level, it may look as if there is prosperity which is generally shared by the whole society, but when you look at the political and emotional level, a lot of people exist without having a say on the wealth of their nation. Madam Temporary Speaker, Allan Smith once said that although the wealth of nations belonged to the nations, it is not usually the wealth of everybody. That in democratic governance that whole idea of participation is not for the aesthetics of it but participation to ensure that in the control and use of natural resources and wealth, every voice has a say and has somehow a participatory distribution or share of this national wealth. So, whereas we are celebrating the advent of tremendous mineral wealth in our nation, if we do not do it with some amount of good governance and paying fair attention The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}