Understanding sustainable democracy

Interestingly enough, there is a new turn in politics --one that espouses the concept of sustainable democracy. Therefore, a greater attention needs to be paid to the call of sustainable democracy. It's a kind of response to the so many variations and sub-categories within categories of various models of democracies with so-called catchy prefixes and/or suffixes being imposed forcefully or advantageously to suit the very purposes of the wielders concerned. The truth is that democracy is democracy and under all the circumstances, approving or not, it remains so both in body and spirit. From these standpoints, continuous supports, legal and political, to strengthen, enhance and consolidate all the necessary institutions like political parties, elective bodies, national and local, election commission, judiciary and responsible and responsive administration breeding good governance within a democracy and democratic order require to be ensured and upheld in qualified moods and modes.
Once democracy is on, let it not be allowed to fall into the trap of discontinuity, disruption or collapse whether it is because of martial law or otherwise. Survival, lasting and continuous are the first and last words here. Look at the states in the capitalistic fold with America at the lead and understand how and to what extent democracy has been made subservient to oligarchy and corpocracy. John Ikerd in an article 'Is Democracy Sustainable' wrote: 'In a democracy, the political power ultimately must reside in the common people. Increasingly, the political power in the United States does not reside in the common people, or even real people, but in corporations. Corporations wield political power at least as great as their economic power. Corporate influence permeates all aspects of government - executive, legislative, and judicial. Our democracy is rapidly degenerating into a corpocracy.
A sustainable democracy would not be socialism or communism, although it would require an active role for government in establishing and enforcing the bounds within which the economy must function. Within such bounds, capitalism can function sustainably. Without such bounds, democracy is not sustainable.
No doubt, democracy has been sustained there but that is not sustainable democracy in the true sense of the taxonomy in respective perspectives rather call it suppression of democracy under the cover of eye-catching sustainable democracy since frustrations, hatred, dismay, disbeliefs, suspicions and so forth from the peoples are getting aired robustly and acutely arising from  negative stand and/or reluctance of the decision-makers to go for required reforms in various wings in the ongoing political  order in tune with time, space and dimension.
Factually speaking, sustainable democracy is a joint report of twenty-one social scientists, from eleven countries and four academic disciplines, who collaborated over the period of two years under the name of the Group on East-South Systems Transformations (ESST). Their report identifies the principal political and economic choices confronting new democracies in Southern and Eastern Europe and South America, while evaluating their merits and feasibility in the light of current social science knowledge. The scientists explore the social, political and economic conditions under which democracy is likely to generate desirable and politically desired objectives, as well as, explore whether it is likely to last. It is argued that the state has an essential role in promoting universal citizenship and in creating conditions for a sustained economic growth. Special emphasis is placed on the interdependence between political and economic reforms (Sustainable Democracy Paperback by Adam Przeworski).
Sustainable democracy, according to the manifesto of Democracy and Sustainability Platform implies:
'We cherish sustainability: meeting the needs of people now without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. But today, human activities have exceeded the earth's natural limits. As a species we have created great inequalities and torn resources away from those yet to be born.
We cherish democracy -- the rule of the people, by the people, and for the people. But democracy is undermined by decision-making that is democratic in name only. It is threatened by conflict, apathy, inequality, manipulation and corruption. It is failing to deliver sustainability.
Together, if we take immediate action, we have the power to transform democracy so that it is an engine of sustainability. This manifesto for democracy and sustainability has been developed to guide a global movement for change. As its signatories, we confirm that we want to be part of this movement. What we create together will be part of our bequest to future generations.
* Sustainability needs flourishing democracy
* Take the long view
* Sustainability must be a central goal of governments everywhere
* Education must link citizenship and sustainability
* Knowledge must be inclusive
* Nothing about us without us'.
The Foundation for Democracy and Sustainable Development (FDSD) in its column 'Who we are' noted: 'FDSD is working to equip democracy to tackle the challenges of sustainable development.
Current systems of democracy are failing to adequately address sustainable development challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, inequality and inter-generational justice. At the same time, widespread participation and accountability are necessary to deal with these complex problems.
The FDSD researches workable reforms, and works with others to inspire and create practical change'.
In all cases, today it is a settled case that for overall sustainability in a state, required attention and nursing of sustainability shall have to be ensured anyhow. To create a balance in a system, first and foremost initiatives should be to take notes of other sectors attaching weight dually since sustainability in one sector and non-sustainability in other(s) cannot be viable at all for the sustainable system as a whole. That's why, the challenges before the leaders of the world are acute and gargantuan. Here leaders and decision-makers of the 21th century have to be more pragmatic, visionary, articulated, responsible and responsive while dealing with the question of 'sustainable democracy' as a species of the generic concept 'sustainable development'.
Poverty of leadership and statesmanship in a democracy can foil the very theme and spirit of democracy. Then, for a sustainable democracy, what more get listed include practice of leadership and statesmanship and applying them befittingly as and when required. Dynastic succession of leadership is mostly an impediment to the democratic growth and development of leadership while leadership imposed otherwise is more dangerous indeed. In both cases, sycophancies, cronyisms, philistinism and corruptions may have easy access to play their own tunes at the denial of the very purposes of democracy. Therefore, where there is a democracy, which is sustainable in its entirety, there remains more possibilities, practical or strategic, to guard, cultivate, nurse, defend and protect the components therein and fight against negative growth and escalations.
And looking at the ongoing political landscapes in Bangladesh, one may conjecture without much thought and efforts that almost all the political institutions in particular are now shattered largely due to chronic inattention by the leaders, past and present, to democracy and its nursing. 'One woman/man show' in statecrafts, politics and political parties are a reality today. Confrontational politics has overshadowed the highly expected politics of compromise, tolerance, accommodation, reconciliation aimed at the well-being of the people and the country. In foreign policy and relations, diplomacy is being played giving priority by and large to 'regime security', making 'state security' a secondary memo. Nevertheless, Sheikh Hasina, sitting Prime Minister of Bangladesh, deserves to be credited for inserting Article 7A into the Constitution of Bangladesh by the Constitution (Fourteenth Amendment) Act of 2011, which closed the very doors to usurp power toppling a democratically elected government. She, from her standpoints, needs to be more accommodative for and responsive to strengthening and consolidating political institutions including her party Awami League. Let her realize in practice that excessive and aggressive inclinations towards economic development shall finally create a great imbalance in the overall development and, hence, neither sustainable development nor sustainable democracy shall be the end product of  her dream of a new Bangladesh otherwise called Golden Bangladesh of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Dr. Sinha M. A. Sayeed is the Chairman of Leadership Studies Foundation, member of International Political Science Association, writer and columnist. He can be reached at sinha_sayeed611@yahoo.com, Bangladesh