play videoDr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso is a former Director of the LECIA
• September 15 is UN International Day of Democracy
• Dr. Vladimir Antwi Danso says democracy is a process
• He lists out some of the things that make up that process
Dr. Vladimir Antwi Danso, a former Director of the Legon Center for International Affairs and Democracy (LECIAD), has said that the governance practice known as democracy
He explained that should democracy be considered an event, it will be short-lived and not capture the true of essence of what it preaches.
“Democracy is not an event, it is a process. If you make it an event, then it is like Usain Bolt, together with, on your marks, get set, ready, go. He plays the tape and he’s first. So, we make democracy like that: that we have a constitution, that we have a four-year term. We put all the ingredients there, when we have gotten the sufficiency of all the ingredients, then we have a democracy,” he said.
The Researcher and International Consultant was speaking during the UN International Day of Democracy event at the Parliament House in Accra when he made this comment.
Dr. Vladimir Antwi Danso further explained the things that can add up to attaining this process of democracy he spoke about.
“It should be a process of change and continuity. When we don’t like something in our constitution, we change it. When we see that this will not help this democracy, we change it. But don’t tell me that when you have ballot, this, pink sheet, this, democracy. A lot of such events create instability when we make democracy an event instead of a process,” he explained.
The purpose of the day is to review the state of democracy in the world and to urge member nations of the UN Charter to celebrate and uphold the values of democracy to give citizens the power to make divisions regarding all aspects of their lives.
It was on the theme, “The Role of State Actors and Civil Societies in Consolidating Democracy, Human Rights and Peace.”
