AP Debate: New Democracies Still Unrealized

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Governments that call themselves democratic often fear democracy in practice, leaving it up to their people to seize the initative, as last year’s Arab Spring revolutions across the Muslim world have shown.

That was one conclusion from a lively “democracy debate” of global leaders hosted by The Associated Press on Thursday at the World Economic Forum. It explored the recent failure of democratic governments to meet people’s economic needs, how political Islam will function in democratic systems, and the pressure on the world’s newest democracies when they still lack stable institutions and any tradition of human, women’s and minority rights.

The discourse brought together the leader of the Islamist party elected in Tunisia’s first democratic vote, foreign ministers of Brazil and Pakistan, a U.S. Republican congressman and the director of Human Rights Watch, all wrestling with the question, “Is democracy up to the challenge of the 21st century?”

When regimes are under siege from mass uprisings, once-cozy power brokers are brought down amid charges of corruption, cronyism and economic failure, and even developed democracies seem paralyzed by hyper-partisanship, the debate asked whether democracy itself is working.

At this annual summit of the world’s powerful and well-connected, moderator Michael Oreskes, AP’s senior managing editor for U.S. news, challenged participants to respond to an Occupy Davos protester’s sign: “If voting could change anything, it would be illegal.”

The answer from the panelists: Western-style democracy is still a valid model for the world, as long as it draws in all segments of society and takes social equality as a central tenet.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota said democracy will remain strong as long as everyone has a voice.

“If democracy is the rule of the majority and the majority is poor, then democracy has to be about social inclusion,” he said.

Rachid Ghannouchi, the founder of the Ennouda party that won Tunisia’s first free elections last year, spoke of a centuries-old “dream” of democracy in the Arab world that finally has the opportunity to emerge. But he cautioned that huge risks remain.

“The process of elections is not enough to achieve democracy. Democracy needs a very rich civil society,” he said. “Democracy without social justice can be transformed into a mafia.”

U.S. Congressman David Dreier, a Republican from California, said activism such as the Occupy movements needs to be a part of the democratic process.

“We can’t say to people be patient. We need to figure out how to address this,” he said.

Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, criticized some countries for having democracy at home but failing to condemn other governments that violate basic democratic principles. He singled out Pakistan, which he said never votes at the United Nations to condemn repression — “unless of course it’s about Israel.”

But Patriota offered a counter-point, saying going to war to protect democracy is wrong as well.

“There is something profoundly wrong when those who should be setting an example seem to establish a link between military intervention and democracy,” he said.