Democracy is more than just regular polls, a political system and institutional rules

By Ndung’u Wainaina

In a few months time, Kenya will hold elections. The challenges are two: Guaranteeing credible, democratic and secure elections reflecting the will of people and elections that improve the quality of democracy and strengthen democratic governance with all actors respecting democratic norms and rule of law.

These elections will either transform Kenya or plunge it headlong into great suffering. Kenya is the best example of a country whose transition is embryonic yet fragile and fraught with enormous challenges.

The country is confronted with a problem of progressive policy enactment without political will. This is manifested in development of policies inconsistent with the developmental challenges, structural and institutional weaknesses, political commitment to State transformation, and equitable development.

Looking into the future, the main test will be the ability of the State to govern according to democratic norms and values protecting civil liberties of citizens; State competence and capacity to redress the grievances of citizens; responding to citizens’ needs and creating avenues for them to participate in governance matters; and deepening state’s commitment to social spending and development. To overcome these challenges and meet the obligations the State has to be capacitated and strengthened through its organs and institutions backed by coherent policies implementation and accountability.

Currently, the there are four possible scenarios that the country faces: A harmonised, unified and secure nation with transformed economy and democratic governance; hobbling little beak from corrupt and impunity-driven culture and ethnicised politics; worsened status quo where a corrupt and vicious government gets elected to secure corruption and impunity protection; and pseudo-military arrangement regime where the Constitution is trashed and or thoroughly amended.

There are clear signals the country might have a Government with tendency to maintain its authority through undemocratic means. It might try to amend the Constitution in its favour and also attempt to undermine the independence of the Legislature and Judiciary.

With such signals, democracy cannot therefore be reduced to the mere holding of elections. It requires efficient, transparent, and credible public institutions as well as a culture that accepts the legitimacy of political opposition and recognising and advocating for the rights of all.

Democracy has to be conceived not only as a political system but also as a system of governance that permits greater public participation and creates a favourable environment for widest society inclusion in socio-economic development. Flourishing qualitative democracy just like positive peace is based on four principles: Equity and equality, participation and inclusion, justice and accountability, and equitable allocation of resources and opportunities.

The increasing frustration at the lack of equal opportunities and high levels of inequality, poverty, and social exclusion is being expressed constantly through socio-political violence. We have to frame democracy as valuable in its own right but tied to human development so that it provides the right framework for creating opportunities for political and social participation, particularly for the most disadvantaged.

Since 1991, progress has been made in holding of regular elections and institution-building. However, serious democratic deficits remain. Political parties are deeply distrusted and loathed as true custodians of the citizens’ interests. They are perceived as individual’s interest covey belt.

The situation of human rights has improved compared with the undemocratic period. And although national laws related to human rights have been promulgated, there are still significant enforcement weaknesses. Addressing respect for the right to life, to humane treatment, to security, and to non-discrimination has been uneven and inadequate.

Deepening of democracy therefore requires a significant expansion of social citizenship rights. The country needs to invest more in implementing genuine devolution, tackling inequality, creating high-quality employment and expanding inclusive economic growth. The country is entering a period of transformation both in the content of democracy and in its links to the unpredictable socio-economic dynamics global context. This global space is characterised by change, wealth creation and increasing internationalisation of politics.

Public opinion surveys and the opinions of the various pollsters recorded in the recent past indicate desire of people to see full State transformation to avert future crisis. They also show need to value the true meaning of politics — the State capacity to create options for promoting citizens’ security, justice and livelihoods. At the heart of this convergence is the empowerment of citizens.

The starting point for the strengthening of democracy lies in giving new value to the content and relevance of politics. The solutions to the problems and challenges of democracy would have to be sought within the democratic institutions and a constructive role restored to politics as the instrument that organises the decisions of society and increase participation by citizens.

In order to make this sustainable, it is essential to promote politics that provide options, harnesses innovations and permits democratic empowerment. A key proposal is to build a new legitimacy for the State. There can be no sustainable democracy without a State that is capable of promoting and guaranteeing the exercise of equal citizenship rights. With a weak and ineffective State, hopes are limited to the preservation of electoral democracy.

It is necessary to continue to consolidate democracy as a system and to create space for greater civic participation, with special emphasis on an active role for civil society. This encompasses an approach substantially greater than that of a mere regular elections, political system and institutional rules. Integral empowerment of citizens is critical as together comprise an indivisible and interconnected whole.

The writer is Executive Director, International Centre for Policy and Conflict