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Friday, May 7, 2010

UK elections and the Unfolding events

There was a time when "Going to the elections" meant getting Clear Results. Whether it was the same old party coming back to power or the new one. But thats certainly not been the case in most Parliamentary elections in the last few years. More particularly in India the last couple of times and today in the UK, for the first time in 60 years.

I'm using some excerpts from the BBC news to illustrate  my point:

"British voters are used to seeing triumphant prime ministers on the steps of Downing Street after election.
This year things may be very different.The party leaders' statements at their counts were inconclusive.


David Cameron said Labour had lost its mandate to govern. Gordon Brown said it was his duty to play a part in Britain having a strong, stable government.

They - like the rest of us - do not know what will happen next. The party leaders now have to make sense of a confusing situation. If it results in a Conservative overall majority, things will be simple. If it does not, Gordon Brown may try to do a deal with the Lib Dems. If he fails or does not attempt that, David Cameron will have to decide whether to rely on a loose agreement with minor parties, to encourage the Liberal Democrats to support a Tory Queens Speech and Budget, or try to entice Nick Clegg with a place in a formal coalition. Should the general election of 2010 end in that sort of deal making, the true outcome could be some time coming.

As I review all that is unfolding I have an overall point of view. Very simple and very basic.

This whole situation in the UK is so civilized. There is no shouting, screaming, scenes on the roads, or even worse, vandalism of some kind. This is what the fabric of true democracy is really made of and something that the rest of the nations have much to learn from.

I now remember that there was an old saying, "The sun never set upom the British emopire."So whatever else we may have had to say about the Brits having 'lorded it' over India, we must also learn to take up the best traditions of liberal democracy.So now lets see what happens at the next Indian Parliamentary elections.

But before that, lets see which party emerges as the ruling party in the British Parliament.

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