More than 500 leading political leaders and pro-democratic institutions around the world have signed a joint declaration that democracy is under threat and must be defended.
The signatories states the following:“The COVID-19 pandemic not only threatens the lives and livelihoods of people. It is a political crisis that threatens the future of liberal democracy. Authoritarian regimes are taking advantage of this crisis, not surprisingly, to silence critics and tighten their political grip.”
In addition, certain democratically elected governments are fighting the pandemic by strengthening emergency powers capable of restricting human rights and strengthening state surveillance and control without taking into account legal constraints, parliamentary control, or deadlines for restoring constitutional order.
parliaments are kept away, journalists arrested and harassed and the most vulnerable sectors of the population face new alarming dangers as the economic deadlock ravages the social fabric all over the world. Silencing freedom of opinion and expression, imprisoning peaceful opponents, obstructing parliamentary control and canceling elections until further notice can in no way protect public health.
On the contrary, these attacks on freedom, transparency and democracy will prevent societies from tackling this crisis quickly and effectively through both government and civic action. Indeed, it is no coincidence that the current pandemic has emerged in a country where the free flow of information is stifled and where the government has sanctioned those who have warned of the dangers of this virus, which were considered false rumors damaging the image of the state.
When the voices of responsible citizens are silenced, the results can be deadly and catastrophic, not only for one country but for the whole world.
Democracy is not only an ideal to which people aspire. It is the most appropriate government system to deal with a crisis of the magnitude and complexity of COVID19. Contrary to the selfish claims of authoritarian propaganda, the free flow of credible information, the factual debate over political options, the voluntary self-organization of civil society and the open engagement between government and society are all essential assets to fight against the pandemic.
They are also key elements of liberal democracy. It is only through democracy that societies can build social trust that allows them to persevere in the face of such a crisis, to ensure national resilience in the face of difficulties, to remedy deep societal divisions through participation and dialogue inclusive, and to maintain confidence that the sacrifice will be shared and that the rights of all citizens will be respected.
It is only through democracy that independent civil society, especially women and young people, will be able to partner with public bodies, help provide services, enable citizens to stay informed and engaged, to strengthen social morale and a sense of common interest.
It is only through democracy that free media can play their information and communication role, allowing people to make good personal and family decisions, to examine government and public institutions and to counter misinformation serving to tear societies apart.
It is only through democracy that society can strike a balance between competing needs and priorities – between fighting the spread of this virus and protecting economic security; and between the implementation of an effective response to the crisis and the protection of the civil and political rights of individuals in accordance with constitutional standards and guarantees.
Only in democracies can the rule of law protect individual freedoms in the face of state intrusion and constraints far beyond what is necessary to control and end a pandemic. It is only in democracies that public accountability systems can monitor and circumscribe the emergency powers of governments and end those powers when they are no longer needed.
Reference: http://epd.eu/2020/06/25/a-call-to-defend-democracy/
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