Quasi-democracy in student government

In many universities and colleges, the student government holds a lot of power over events and programs, and is generally composed of people who compete for its positions with all of their credentials. What happens if the school only has a one-party system?The one-party system has always been criticized for being undemocratic and semidictatorial. While it is true that it is democratic in the sense the student body is able to choose its leaders and representatives, it is also almost dictatorial since they have nobody to oppose them, save for the few independent candidates who throw their hats into the race and pit themselves against political giants.

Another problem with the one-party system is that it creates a culture of yes men. Without any opposition from their colleagues in the student government, they are usually given free rein to do whatever they want. Those who do oppose them are looked down upon for creating animosity and rifts within the party, thus tainting their image as a united group.

In response to this, the one-party system must be abolished by introducing opposition parties. Not only can this promote fairness and transparency in the student government, but it can also help the students choose among candidates who are better qualified and have more potential to serve their constituents.

Opposing a well-entrenched and established political party is one thing, but isn’t giving other students with the same values, visions, and aspirations the chance to implement their ideas the very essence of democracy? Yes, very much so. The fight to establish true democracies in our schools still has a long way to go.

Wilhelm Matthew A. Tan,

Iloilo City

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