Decaying democracies
MORTALS have an intrinsic gumption to thrive in liberty. However, human’s thirst to bring about dominance over other beings vanquishes all other inclinations. This quest gives birth to undemocratic dispositions. Such tendencies have been plaguing communities since the onset of history. The population of the world in 1800 was 991 million. Out of it, 812.6 million experienced closed dictatorships, and 22.62 million witnessed the rule of electoral oligarchies. Hence, the call for a representative and inclusive system picked up momentum. Initially, it was Spain that espoused this theory. Thereafter, countries, including Portugal, Germany, and Italy, embraced this notion.
Today, only forty percent of nations live in territories that organize free and fair ballots. Still, sixty percent of the world’s populace lives in closed and electoral autocracies. In modern times, dictatorial regimes have commandeered democracies in countries such as Russia, Venezuela, and Belarus. In many states, such as Bangladesh, Thailand, and Cambodia, the political parties remain at a tortoise over the potency of the democratic process. David Beetham in his book ‘Democracy’ writes that the authors of the Freedom House survey maintained that although the number of electoral democracies in the world increased from 66 in 1987 to 121 in 2002, only 89 of these were democratic.
The unconstitutional use of power by populist rulers, coupled with the incompetency of political leaders, has petered out the hope of people in the democratic process. It all culminated in the decomposition of democratic foundations. As a result, public advocacy in favour of democratic governments worldwide has nosedived. Many democracies have failed to rise to the hopes of the populations. There are swaying reasons linked with it. First, the tarnished image of politicians in many democracies has been a leading factor. They talk high for public welfare, but their actions expose their dual standards.
Additionally, many politicians find themselves beset by corruption allegations and scandals that question their character as a leader. The public, as a result, stops trusting their representatives. Second, political victimization has become a norm in many democracies. Populist leaders demand unquestionable authority to advance their vested interests by using the cannon of political victimization. It has yielded an irreparable setback to the foundations of democracy. Third, education gives enlightenment to communities. Many developing countries have drawn no remarkable improvement in the education sector.
It has bereft individuals of the competence to elect capable leaders and marred the ability of voters to take part in the democratic process. Fourth, the elite seizure of power and resources has robbed democracies of their jewel-like features and triggered undemocratic shifts in many democracies. Resultantly, the general masses give up hopes of achieving the common good. Fifth, in a democracy, people solicit information about their government’s performance through debates and dialogue. However, it has been missing in many democracies owing to the limitations, which aim at restricting the freedom of speech, imposed by governments. Sixth, accountability is a stepping stone for the evolution of democracy, but democracies, today, are devoid of this essential ingredient. It makes the working of democratic governments suspicious. Seventh, the dilapidated elective arrangement in developing countries has forced people to stay aloof from the electoral process, which has raised questions about the system of democracy, chiefly in developing countries. Eighth, a bona fide democracy safeguards the rights of citizens, but many nations confront unabashed assaults on human rights eroding the bases of democracies.
The case of Kashmir speaks volumes about the blatant disregard for human rights by the Indian government. Ninth, in developing countries, political parties are dynastic. The centralization of power within political blocs has dimmed the aspirations of people in the political process. The debacle of democracies pictures that democratic values have dwindled, and there is a prompt need to remodel the democratic system to establish the authenticity of democratic governments. First, faith in democracy calls for its restoration. For this, a stringent monitoring procedure referring to the spending on elections is the need of the time. It is de rigueur to bring transparency to the electoral process. Second, freedom of expression is cardinal for making democracies work. So, governments should allow ‘’whistle-blowers’’ to work in an independent and protected environment. Third, inclusivity in government affairs, through the devolution of power, can help revive people’s trust in democratic regimes. Fourth, democracies should inhibit biased media reporting, and the media should play a non-partisan role in bringing the facts to the spotlight. Fifth, the electoral process should be transparent and free of loopholes.
When states conduct elections fairly, the public gains faith in the system. However, tainted elections lessen the element of trust in a democracy. Sixth, a democracy should give everybody a conducive environment to contest polls. It fosters constructive democratic tendencies and curtails the exploitation of powerless groups at the hands of influential groups. Seventh, democracies in the world should go all out to play down disparities within communities. Eighth, inclusiveness in institutional working will help repose the trust in democracies. The future of democracies depends on the ability of democratic governments to serve people by embodying all the elements of a pure democracy.
Democracy supports civilians by maintaining an environment of social, political, and economic security. If democracy becomes devoid of these essential elements, the lone purpose of democracy, which is to ensure public service delivery, perishes. By serving people in an honest sense, democracies can get strength. Without it, the system of democracy will keep running in decline. It will allow autocratic tendencies to burglarize the masses with impunity. Therefore, time calls for making democracies inclusive and representative. It is vital for developing states where the provision of social, political, and individual rights has become a far cry. With no smidgen of doubt, a bona fide democratic formation can accomplish all these objectives by ensuring equity, fairness, openness, and inclusivity. Hence, if democracies keep thriving on autocratic and dynastic grounds, the element of trust which people pose in this political system will vanish away and the permanent decay of the democratic system will be the ultimate result.
—The writer is MPhil in International Relations and CSS qualified officer, based in Rawalpindi.
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