ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the conflicts and the peace processes, but the focus is on the solutions or what could be possible solutions, rather than on what made the conflict ripe for a settlement and the process of negotiating a peace accord. It focuses on four main elements of power-sharing: devolution of powers, representation, form of government and grand coalitions, and decision-making rules. The chapter also discusses the role of the political elites and the international community. Power-sharing as a mechanism for democratic peace-building is frequently used as a policy option in many post-conflict situations. The basic premise is that plain applications of the principle of the right of the majority to decide must be modified so that minorities are not only securing the right to participate in the political process, but also that their basic rights and interests are secured in the political system's constitutional and institutional design.
