Dear Editor,

The United States of America and western European countries champion democracy as the ideal system of government, but just as countries and peoples have different cultures, I am beginning to wonder if any one system of government is suitable for all countries.

Should countries be allowed to implement the form of government to which the population is most responsive?

Does it follow that if democracy works in country A and satisfies the population’s aspirations it will deliver the same outcomes in country B?

Should a population’s general level of discipline, political maturity, as well as social and economic equality play a role in selecting the system of governance?

Are modern democracies a deception with citizens appearing to have the power to hold governments accountable, but in reality the Government is only accountable to its financial backers?

How representative of citizens’ views is a Government that does not regularly seek citizens’ views on matters of governance?

Should a country continue with a system of one man/woman, one vote in effectively a two-party system, when it is clear party supporters are only interested in how they may benefit from their own party forming the Government and not in the development of the country for the benefit of all citizens?

Would you prefer to live in a country with limited democracy, but low levels of crime, high economic growth, near equitable distribution of wealth, universal health care, and an economic safety net for those fallen on hard times; or one with full democracy and quality of life indicators in the negative?

Do political parties find it advantageous to keep a segment of the voting population poor, undereducated and dependent on politicians, thereby ensuring a solid base of easily manipulated voters?

Are politicians only concerned about the very rich and the very poor in society? After all, the very rich fund political campaigns and the very poor are the ones most likely to vote. The middle class is neither rich enough nor sufficiently dependent on politicians to warrant much attention.

Why is there a worldwide decline in citizens’ participation in elections? Could it be that citizens are realising that democracy as practised in our modern world is not democratic?

Wayne Plummer

Greater Portmore

St Catherine

wayne.r.plummer@gmail.com