We mentioned in the previous article that there are three types of democratic government (presidential, parliamentary and assembly) and we summed up the features of the presidential democratic system. In this article, we will talk about the other two types of government before tackling the question: Which type would work best for Arabs who want to shift to democracy? 1. The most important features of the parliamentary type of government are: There is a monarch or president who does not have any powers or executive, legislative or judiciary authority. His role is symbolic. There are kingdoms and republics which fall under this category. The legislative authority (parliament) is the highest branch in the government. There is a flexible separation between the legislative and executive authorities. The legislative authority may hold the executive authority (council of ministers) accountable for a certain act and may also pass a vote of no confidence (or confidence) on the executive authority. The executive authority, represented by its prime minister, on the other hand, may request that the legislative authority (parliament) be dissolved. The executive authority is set up based on the results of parliamentary elections. All members of the executive authority have two capacities: legislative (they are members of the parliament) and executive (they are members of the council of minister). If there are two legislative councils, the term “legislative authority” often refers to the house of representatives (in the parliamentary system). There is a prime minister with full executive powers who has the support of the majority of the legislative authority which is formed as a result of an election. There is also an independent judiciary authority. 2. The most important features of the assembly type of government are: This type of democratic government is a republic with a president who has a symbolic role (he reigns but he does not rule). He is elected by parliament for a four-year term. The legislative branch (parliament) is the main authority which has full powers. It is elected directly by the people and represents the people. The legislative authority appoints the executive authority (council of ministers) which is overseen by the former and can be held accountable. The legislative authority may relieve the executive authority of its position or change it at any time. Most members of the executive authority are parliamentary members. There is no flexible or relative separation between the legislative and executive authorities. The legislative authority holds the supreme power and the executive authority can be held accountable by the legislative authority. There is also an independent judiciary authority. Some Arab political experts believe that the representative type of government is the best for most Arab countries because the president has full powers. After all, for Arabs, having a leader is very important because they have become used to this reality. Other political experts believe that the parliamentary type will suit Arabs best, for several reasons. One reason is it ensures that a president does not abuse his powers and become a tyrant who will change the constitution to suit his own interests. This is what has happened in many Arab countries. Another reason is that the parliamentary system is suitable to both monarchial and republican types of government. It is not restricted to republics only, as is the case of the presidential form of government. The parliamentary system seems to be the best option for Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Algeria and even for Lebanon and Iraq (even if they become federations later). It is very important that these regimes do not have a powerful president so that the tragic events which happened in some Arab countries are not repeated. As the proverb says: “Once bitten, twice shy.” (Dr. Sadaka Y. Fadhel is a Member of the Shoura Council and Professor of Political Science) __
