Zambian citizens assess their own democracy

On 20 September 2011, Zambia will hold legislative and presidential elections, and many candidates are already getting ready for this big event.

For one year now, Zambia has been able to provide its citizens the possibility to assess their own democracy using the State of Democracy Assessment Framework. With the elections coming up in September, this is particularly interesting in preparing the country for what is to come and it could prove to be a powerful tool in engaging support for democratic reform.

Elections are about a lot more than simply candidates seeking office and much can happen in between. In this process, assessing a country’s democracy is a large and complex task, beyond questions such as how many people vote in a country and what is the transparency of the voting process and the government. Not only in Zambia, but in several African countries, the situation is particularly fragile, where fragmented political systems lead to political apathy and low voter turn-out.

Launched in July 2010 by the Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) and the Department of Political and Administrative Studies of the University of Zambia (UNZA), the State of Democracy assessment project can help Zambia’s citizens set priorities and determine where they can identify strengths and weaknesses, and develop agendas for the coming years.

At the present time [August] the national assessment team in Zambia, with support from International IDEA, is conducting a workshop in Lusaka to discuss the findings and results so far.

“The issues of democracy are delicate and that is why we need processes like this to keep us in check,” is the common voice of the participants.

Originally developed by International IDEA, the Framework applies critical thinking and reflection to a given country being analysed and can be applied in a variety of settings and contexts. It links the fundamental principles of democracy, uses a set of mediating values, and asks specific questions that probe deep into the country’s democratic processes and institutions to identify key areas for democratic reform. Through its methodology, the framework helps promote democratic values through knowledge sharing and the exchange of experience and lessons learned among its citizens.

The hope is that other West African countries will follow Zambia’s lead such as Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Conakry and Mauritania for example, and others that are treading the path of post-conflict recovery such as Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone. 

As we know, democracy cannot be imposed from abroad; it must grow from within. By giving citizens a framework within which they can assess their own governmental institutions and democratic processes, transparency and standardisation of information and knowledge will increase.

Through the use of this Framework, citizens and civil society can learn more about democracy building today and how it can better support development across the world. And it can further a culture of dialogue, inter-generational and cultural interaction, consensus, inclusion and other important aspects of democracy for the benefit of all.

For more information visit the International IDEA website, www.idea.int