1988 the first elections for municipalities were held after 21 years of military dictatorship. In the 1,3 million city of Porto Alegre, Partido do Trabalhadores (PT) won. In 1989 the first PT mayor in Porto Alegre took seat. 1989 was also the year that the working class kid and trade union leader Lula ran for presidential elections for the first time – and took everyone by surprise by almost winning.
Bha deamocrasaidh com-pàirteachail mar phàirt de phrògram taghaidh 1988, ach cha robh fios aig duine dè a bh’ ann. Thuirt sinn tron iomairt taghaidh gun robh sinn airson riaghladh le com-pàirteachadh mòr-chòrdte, le comhairlean mòr-chòrdte, ach cha robh fios againn eadhon dè a bh’ ann dha-rìribh. Cha robh eòlas sam bith eile air seo roimhe ann am Brasil. Bha sinn airson an dòigh riaghlaidh atharrachadh gu mòr, agus bha sinn den bheachd gum biodh deamocrasaidh com-pàirteachail comasach. Thòisich sinn leis a’ bhuidseit oir bha sinn den bheachd gur e sin an rud as cudromaiche agus as èiginn a dh’ fhosgladh.
An-diugh bidh còrr air 50 000 neach an sàs gach bliadhna ann am pròiseas a’ bhuidseit com-pàirteachaidh. Bidh am pròiseas a’ tòiseachadh sa Mhàrt agus a’ mairsinn gu deireadh an Fhaoillich. Tha am baile air a roinn ann an 16 sgìrean agus 5 comataidhean cuspaireil a bhios ag obair le cùisean a tha a’ buntainn ris a’ bhaile air fad. Bidh daoine an sàs no anns na sgìrean aca no anns na comataidhean cuspaireil. Bidh na riaghaltasan ionadail a’ dol chun a h-uile comataidh sgìreil is cuspaireil agus a’ taisbeanadh measadh air tasgaidhean na bliadhna roimhe, am plana tasgaidh, agus reachdan an OP.
Às deidh don bhaile-mòr mìneachadh dè na trì raointean air a bheil prìomhachas bidh an tasgadh air a riarachadh a rèir trì slatan-tomhais:
2. riatanasan bun-structair
Seo far a bheilear a’ tionndadh phrìomhachasan, is e an dàrna puing an rud as cudromaiche airson beairteas ath-riarachadh agus na raointean as motha a tha feumach air a chuideachadh. Bidh am pìos cèic as motha an-còmhnaidh a’ dol far a bheil an fheum as motha, is e sin gealltanas a tha air a thogail a-steach don phròiseas. Tha plana tasgaidh air a dhèanamh a rèir toradh pròiseas OP agus matrix buidseit cuideachd a dh'fheumas a dhol tron phàrlamaid ionadail.
This means that the OP process is a parallel power to the municipal power and that means also conflicts and clashes with the local parliament where the opposition to the PT is in majority. The participatory budget has existed since 1989, because the PT has won every election for mayor since. That is 13 years that the process has developed and 13 years the opposition has been criticizing it. The first six years of OP the opposition was simply against the budget process. The years passed and as they saw that the process was popular and that participatory democracy had a strong popular base in the city they changed tactics. Now, nobody is against the OP but the opposition wants to institutionalize it so that everything has to go through the local parliament. Among the local deputies of the opposition there is a strong criticism that the representative democracy – which they claim is the base of democracy – is loosing its importance.
And it has made a difference both practical and political. Today the citizens of the city have access to paved roads, sewerage system, water system, garbage collection, over 70 schools have been built. Redistribution did increase and the public sector as well. When a multinational comes to town they are always welcomed under the conditions that the local government together with the community puts forward. The idea is that the corporations themselves should pay for the problems they cause. It can be about building houses for people that has to be moved, to pave roads or open up roads, build bridges or small boutiques for the small and medium sized enterprises – and always pay taxes.
Chan eil e furasta co-dhùnaidhean a dhèanamh nach eil a’ leantainn loidsig dlùth-chruinneas neoliberal ach tha e air a dhèanamh mòran nas fhasa ma tha an co-dhùnadh dligheach le com-pàirteachadh mòr-chòrdte. Tha am buidseat com-pàirteachaidh ann am Porto Alegre, mar aon den bheagan eisimpleirean san t-saoghal de dheamocrasaidh com-pàirteachail far a bheil cothrom aig saoranaich co-dhùnaidhean eaconamach a dhèanamh. Eu-coltach ri smaoineachadh neoliberal far am bu chòir do eaconamaichean co-dhùnaidhean eaconamach a dhèanamh agus uaireannan le eaconamaichean aig nach eil eòlas air sgìre, mar a bhios an IMF an-còmhnaidh. Tha an eòlas deamocrasaidh com-pàirteachail ann am Porto Alegre cuideachd na eisimpleir de barrachd com-pàirt ann am poileasaidh agus dèanamh cho-dhùnaidhean.
America Vera-Zavala Is finishing her thesis “Democracy in the Era of globalisation: Power and Counter-Power with Special Reference to Participatory Budgeting in Porto Alegre”