At grass-roots: ‘Swiss political system influenced by direct participation’

Swiss consul-general talks about democracy in his homeland

KARACHI: Direct democracy is one of the most important features of the Swiss political system. It allows the people to have the last word on important decisions of parliament, said Swiss consul-general in Karachi Emil Wyss on Tuesday.

A lecture titled 'Direct Local Democracy in Switzerland' by Wyss was held at the political science department of University of Karachi on Tuesday for the students of political science MA Final and MS under former political science chairperson Prof Dr Muhammad Ahmed Qadri. The venue was Manzooruddin Conference Hall.

The programme started with a welcome note by Prof Dr Moonis Ahmar, who said that it was always great to have Wyss among them, talking about democracy in Switzerland. Wyss started his lecture by expressing his gratitude to the Pakistani nation, saying it was always a pleasure to attend events with such enthusiastic students who always welcome him with smiles on their faces.



According to him, the Swiss territory is divided into 26 cantons and they have 2,600 municipalities. "Our political system is strongly influenced by direct participation of the people," he said.

Explaining the system of government, he said that Switzerland has a federal council, which consists of seven members. "Each one of them becomes the president for one year, so it keeps our government system rotating," he said.

Talking about the importance of local bodies, Wyss said, "Swiss municipalities are about 2,600 in number. Not only the cantonal but the municipal level is also constitutionally protected. Municipalities are closest to the people and often develop solutions that are tailor-made for local problems."

Answering one of the questions by students regarding solutions for strengthening democracy in Pakistan, Wyss said, "Switzerland only has public schools, which maintain the balance of education and promotes equality. Similarly, Pakistan should also bring one system of education for everyone in the country."

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2015.