FEW people realise how important the Constitution is until it is suspended in either a military coup or other militant uprising (called putsch). When a legitimately elected government is overthrown, suspending the constitution means that all established guarantees, freedoms and rights become instantly non-existent. This grim scenario can be unpleasant, often dangerous and unpredictable.Unless such an event is sponsored by external interests, it is here that a country will rely on its neighbours, regional and international institutions to intervene and help to restore order. Intervention becomes challenging if the civilian government has already been overthrown because the new leaders quickly understand the risk to their own lives if they give up power. Some plotters will try to portray such events as transitional and necessary to save the country from political shortcomings of the (former) ruling class.However, the difference between an elected (civilian) government and one born from a coup is that one represents national interest through the electoral […]
DEFENCE AND NATIONAL SECURITY
