Democratization
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Since the end of the cold war more than a decade ago the antinomy of “people’s power” rises continuously. So many countries around the world have chosen this form of government. Nowadays, democracy is seen as a normal choice compared to other forms of government for example, dictatorship, republic and so on. It is an extraordinary idea that has a narrow and comprehensive definition. The term, “democracy”, originates from two Greek words: demos, which means “the people”, and kratein, which means “to rule”. This “rule by the people” was initially applied in Greece in the sixth century BC and today, it is a system of government. In my own opinion, democracy can be thought of as a form of government with four main features; (i) A system for electing leaders through free and fair elections (ii) The collective decisions made by citizens (iii) Human rights protection of citizens in the country. (iv) The rule of law that applies to all citizens
Therefore, democracy is a political system or form of government for selecting and changing the government by citizens through a free and fair election. In this form of government, the people hold the leaders responsible for their plan of action and behavior in office, as they are supreme and have the ultimate power.
In a democracy, the people have to agree on who will act as a representative in parliament, and who will govern them both at the national and local levels. Leaders are selected by choosing between contending parties through free and fair elections. The people have the greatest power of authority and this power streams down to the leaders, who have the power temporarily. The elections have to take place at regular times, as set by law. Those that are elected or in power cannot overstay their terms in office without the permission or consent of the people again in another election. For free and fair elections, they have to be controlled or overseen by a just, impartial and highly trained electoral officials in which political parties and voters are treated equally. Both political parties and aspirants have the right to campaign freely directly or through the mass media. In this form of government, citizens have basic human rights that cannot be taken away from them as these rights are assured under international law. Also, the rule of law in a democratic system safeguards the basic human rights of citizens, upholds order, and restricts the sovereignty of the government.