Power-Sharing in Modern Democracies

Demographics: Belgium is a European country with a population of over $1$ crore. Its ethnic makeup includes $59\%$ Dutch-speakers in the Flemish region, $40\%$ French-speakers in the Wallonia region, and $1\%$ German-speakers.
Brussels: In the capital city, $80\%$ are French-speaking and $20\%$ are Dutch-speaking.
Tensions: During the 1950s and 1960s, tensions arose because the minority French-speaking community was relatively rich and powerful, causing resentment among the Dutch-speaking majority who gained economic benefits later.

Demographics: Sri Lanka has a population of about $2$ crore. Major groups include Sinhala-speakers ( $74\%$ ) and Tamil-speakers ( $18\%$ ). Tamils include 'Sri Lankan Tamils' ( $13\%$ ) and 'Indian Tamils'.
Majoritarian Policies: After independence in $1948$ , the Sinhala-led government established Sinhala supremacy through the $1956$ Act (making Sinhala the only official language) and preferential policies for university and government jobs.
Consequences: These measures alienated Sri Lankan Tamils, leading to demands for an independent 'Tamil Eelam' and a bloody civil war that ended in $2009$ .

Constitutional Amendments: Between $1970$ and $1993$ , Belgium amended its constitution four times to ensure inclusive governance.
Power Distribution: - Equal number of Dutch and French-speaking ministers in the Central Government. - State Governments are not subordinate to the Central Government. - Brussels has a separate government with equal representation for both communities.
Community Government: A third tier of government elected by people belonging to one language community (Dutch, French, or German) to handle cultural, educational, and language issues.

Prudential Reasons: Power-sharing is desirable because it reduces the possibility of conflict between social groups, ensuring political stability and national unity.
Moral Reasons: Power-sharing is the "very spirit of democracy." It emphasizes that a legitimate government involves citizens' participation and their right to be consulted on governance.

The Scenario: In Beirut, Lebanon, a power-sharing pact requires the President to be a Maronite Catholic, the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim, the Deputy Prime Minister an Orthodox Christian, and the Speaker a Shi'a Muslim.
The Debate: Khalil, born to parents of different communities, opposes this system and favors a 'regular' democracy where whoever wins the most votes becomes President. However, elders support the pact as it ended a bitter civil war and guarantees peace.
Vetal's Question to Vikram: "If you had the power to rewrite the rules in Lebanon, what would you do? Would you adopt the 'regular' rules… or stick to the old rules?"

Horizontal Distribution: Power is shared among different organs of government (Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary), creating a system of "checks and balances."
Vertical Division: Power is shared among governments at different levels, such as the Central/Union Government, State/Provincial Governments, and local bodies like Municipalities and Panchayats.
Social Groups: Sharing power among religious and linguistic groups, such as the "community government" in Belgium or "reserved constituencies" for weaker sections and women.
Political and Interest Groups: Power-sharing through competition between political parties, coalition governments, and the influence of pressure groups or movements (e.g., traders, farmers, industrial workers).