Help poor countries with democracy

Address the challenges poor countries face in fight for democracy, writes Handsen Chikowore.

When we acknowledge International Day of Democracy this week it is important to review the state of democracy in poor countries.

Poor countries fail to implement democracy because there is a perception that their sovereignty will be interfered with and they lack commitment and enough resources to fully implement democratic change.

There could be some other obstacles which hinder poor countries from achieving democracy. Poor countries should be supported to promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all; and substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all forms.

They should be highly encouraged to develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels and ensuring responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.

There should be enough resources to ensure public access to information and protection of fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.

Democracy is crucial in ensuring the free flow of information, participation in decision-making and accountability for the response to the pandemic.

It is not good enough to blame poor countries for failure to implement democracy without addressing the other challenges and obstacles they face, which interfere with the promotion and implementation of democracy.