The Bedrock of East Timor-

The Fundamentals of  Political Science 11

 by

Snake

Political Science 11 deals on  the fundamentals of  an entity called  a State which is the primary object of  politics. In most  recognized universities of the world (University of the Philippines is one), it preserves  its original course signification and nomenclature.  Other advance courses in Political Science are numbered  in ascending order like 11, 14,  151, 152, 160, 190 and so forth.   These numbers only present the degrees of difficulty in course analysis and specialization but all partake the same object of  intellectual theorizing which is politics per se.

Basically politics is a struggle for (of) power. It naturally and spontaneously developed and curbed  from the desire of  humankind to establish power and obedience.  In the political curtain, one can see the cast of actors performing distinct and interweaving roles- primary and secondary, leading and  rendering,  assent and dissent,  elite and counter-elite. In plain, the  appearance of one makes the indispensable appearance of the other through a  relationship continuum  that range  in between nurturing  or winning to  abandoning or  defeating. The push and pull that  make up the political equation  provide  a balancing contrast of political reality. 

 It’s like a wheel that may either roll from left to right , at rest and otherwise-the spokes representing the varied societal interest, the center  being the common good while those on top of the wheel represent those  in power. If it sets in motion,  the  balance of varied interest which is neither heavy on one side  creates a steady  cruise that  eventually  renders insignificant who stays on top or at the bottom for as long as it confides with Newton’s Law of Motion. If it would be at rest, it  must not take so long because those at the bottom may just can’t endure the heavy toll. So that, naturally it makes everyone happy when the whole society is at least moving slowly but steadily.

In another view,  they may just be centrifugal and centripetal forces that keep it intact and moving steadily in a spin -  the center  being the common good, the centrifugal (outward) force being  the divergent  interests and the centripetal (inward) force being the converging political institutions or processes as defined in the Constitution.

This newly emerging nation-state provides us the best  course review of Political Science 11.  Academically,  nation and state are distinct political concepts  which may not be used interchangeably. I am  more confident as of yet to refer her as both not to confuse  but to give it a general understanding of her present status prior to the happening of conceptual prerequisites to statehood.

At present, there’s no doubt that East  Timor  is a nation.  A nation refers to people with more or less common understanding,  racial origin, homogenous culture and tradition,  vision and way of life and living together.  So that  there can be a nation without a state (The Palestinian Paradox). But  can there be a state without a nation?

What is then a State?  It is a well settled intellectual usage and understanding that the term State owes its  vivid signification from   other political concepts in Political Science 11, namely:  people, territory, government, independence, civilization and recognition.

As it is,  a State is defined, thus: as a group of people, more or less numerous, capable of procreation and of self-defense, living on a definite territory (which must be on land, and not the sea), possessed of a government to which the inhabitants render habitual obedience, and such independence from external control as would enable it to conduct its external and internal affairs without unreasonable intervention from other groups,  and prides to have a certain degree of civilization as well as enjoying recognition by the Family of Nations. Be that as it may, such definition encompasses the Majority  and the Minority Schools of Thought. The latter school puts importance on civilization and recognition in addition to the other  elements.

In the instant case, East Timor possesses some but not all the elements enumerated as of yet.  For one, a government is yet to be in place which is equally important for governance whereby her aspirations could well be crystallized for her people’s benefits. The ramifications of government have yet to be institutionalized in the proper forum particularly through the exercise of the right suffrage by her people in a free, honest, fair, and clean election.  Of course, a peaceful one is the Gordian knot that runs around the process.

It can be gleaned from the  time-frame to achieving full state status that  the other requisites are being substantiated.  Highly important and  no non-sense of it all though is the drafting of a Constitution.  Constitution is the quintessential framework that serves as the basic law and is the highest law of the land from which the relationship- rights, duties and  responsibilities,  state principles, people’s aspirations and other political institutions are embedded and embossed  in a single piece of document called the Constitution.

The drafting of a Constitution is the highest act of statesmanship for it reflects the true heart and soul of the people who wanted it for their own people.  In a sense, it’s a double or nothing proposition that must reflect the whole gamut of  self-determination.  The  metes and bounds of state and governance must be clear but not necessarily a straight-jacket  that would not allow any dynamism.  It has to be responsive with the ebb and flow of the times but must be solidly embedded by strict constitutional guidelines for any future amendments.

It is well said that a good Constitution is one that is stable and visionary such that the foresight necessarily include future realities. One such Constitution is  one  embedded framework of the present leader of the New World Order i.e., the United States of America, that since its ratification and adoption after  her “Gone with the Wind” epic of the North and South sometime in 1787,  has rarely been modified. Thus far, the number of  amendments is something that  a three year old kid can still count on the fingers. (From 1791,1^st Amendment to 1971, 26^th Amendment). (The US Constitution has 4,400 words. It is the oldest and shortest written constitution of any government in the world, which was signed by only 39 men during a constitutional convention in Philadelphia when the US population was only 4 million. It is now more than 250 million.)

One area of concern is the concept of Sovereignty.  It carries with it the sense of self-determination  of people and their willingness to harness and preserve its legacy, free from unsolicited intrusions and  thus manifests the desire to intercourse with,  by and among equally sovereign nations. It gives  full meaning to the concept of Independence that without which is as good as nothing. On the principle of equality of nations,  neither size or capacity of East Timor   may disqualify her from sharing  due respect with the  sovereign equality of nations.

It is an intellectually reasonable opinion, if not at its best that  putting in place the constitutional framework of this emerging nation-state,  a prelude to full statehood by the would-be framers , must  devote to full-brain power to arrest in clear and simple terms what is best for  their country.

We are hoping for the best among   the 88 of  them  who must be enlightened not by narrow or parochial interests but  must always take into account as  their highest motivation to be the  entire liberation of this country from the vestiges of  machination or exploitation.  Salus Populi est Suprema  Lex! (The welfare of the people is the Supreme Law). 

N.B.:  The author is a professor in Political and Social Sciences at the University of the Philippines (Clarkfield) and is presently serving as a peacekeeper in his capacity as public information officer. (Feb. 27, 2001)