It is absurd to attach any qualifiers such as �liberal�, �conservative�, �socialist and revolutionary� adjective tags to democracy (like what we hear and see being attempted or propounded in Ethiopia today- an attempt to apply secondhand knowledge of alien doctrines).  As there is no enslavement democracy, there can be no liberal democracy, as there is no reactionary democracy, there can be no revolutionary democracy. Democracy equals democracy!

Democracy is absolute in a sense; it is applicable to all humans irrespective of socioeconomic and political contexts. Democracy is a system of government by which every individual citizen has equal opportunity to pursue in all aspects of life under the rule of law.

True Democracy is founded on the principle of equal opportunity.  Equal opportunity means merit based access to the political, economic, educational and other aspects of life of all citizens, irrespective of political affiliations.  Government officials may assume offices either through election contests or other standards, but, after ascending to the public office, they must be devoid of partisanship outlooks towards citizens.  If they do so, they just represent only a certain group interests, not the interests of the whole society. Such governments lack the capacity and legitimacy to use the standard, the rule of law.

Freedom of citizens can only be realized in true democracy.  Freedom here is meant to be the ability to make choices among alternatives; to live by reason and make informed and independent decisions related to one�s own present and future life. This kind of play ground is real democracy.  This is what Ethiopia needs today and forever, as development is the impossibility without it.

True democracy means the fact that government of the people by the law, not of men.  The law as framed and formulated to serve as a standard under which every person � from the housemaid to the head of state is governed. Whether governmental officials assume office via party based contest or through other standards, they must be free of partisanship � and must serve the right as formulated in the rule of law.  If deviated from the rule of law, they must be replaced automatically.  The rule of law must have this capacity.

The law that is formulated by putting at its foundational heart the equality of all persons under its jurisdiction, is, granted, a common good of society. Human beings are equal at birth with equal rights to decide over their destinies.  The principle of equal opportunity emanates from this truth.  Individual freedom thus remains the function of democracy. The purpose of democratic governance is to release the potentialities of all citizens so as to bring about individual and societal common good. 

The endowment of all persons with intelligence marks their equality and distinguishes them from the world of beasts.  True democracy is a nurturing ground of the intelligence each person leading to full-blown self actualization/freedom.  This ground enables every individual citizen to engage with full capacity. The full capacity based engagement of all citizens is what we call development.

In another paradigm of thought, equating democracy with the majority rule is an absurd assertion. This is so because the majority is not immune of fallibility in knowledge.  Contrary, an individual within the losing minority may possess spectacularly transformative ideas towards the common good of all. Worse, mindless political leaders use this absurd equation to deceive society in that those denied their fundamental rights refrain from contending to claim their rights because they misconceive and take as given the absurdity that the will of majority prevails.  The misinformed citizen takes the equation as granted.

The fundamental meaning of democracy is derived from the equality of all persons under the rule of law. This principle necessitates the equality of opportunities so as every individual exercises to actualize his/her potential towards full-blown freedom.  Every citizen is said to be free if there is a level ground to access all institutions that affect her/his educational, political, civic, economic, and personal life.

It is here the need for institutions, particularly the legitimate state, come to the fore to create the environment that nurtures human intelligence towards self actualization/ freedom.  When the state creates such an environment, we say that it has accomplished its responsibilities.  Only then can individuals play productive roles in the efforts to bring about a just society where all its members live by a unified standard � the rule of law.

Unfortunately, the reality in Ethiopia shows the opposite of the forgoing principles.  Socioeconomic and political institutions in the country seem to be reserved for some to access through devious means. Meritocracy is scraped. Development is becoming mere rhetoric.  Utilitarian life has become a guide to virtuous life. Are we in a democracy?

Alula Kurabachew

March 29, 2009