Written by There are certain conditions that are necessary for the smooth operation of democracy.
These conditions are free and fair elections, educated citizens, an Independent Judiciary, respect for fundamental human rights, freedom of the press, and the existence of political parties.
Free and fair election
This is one of the essential features of democracy.
For democracy to exist and continue to exist effectively, there must be periodic, free and fair elections.
A free and fair election means that all voters who have attained the minimum voting age should be allowed to vote.
It also entails that the election process must be transparent and free from any form of bias.
A free and fair election is very essential because it is through the election that political leaders receive the mandate of the people to rule, renew their mandates, and change from one government to another.
Since democracy implies that the power of governance is vested in and derived from the people, it is very much essential that elections must be free and fair.
Also, a free and fair election ensures that the will and aspirations of the people are adequately represented, which is the very essence of democracy.
Educated citizens
The smooth operation of democracy also requires that a large portion of the citizens be educated.
Through education, citizens get to understand the principles of democracy, such as rule of law, an independent judiciary, and fundamental human rights.
Education can also help people learn about the operation of democracy and the appropriate behaviours that are required of them as citizens.
The effectiveness of democracy will be undermined if a large portion of the population is uneducated since they will likely be ignorant of their rights and obligations.
Independent Judiciary
As you probably know, there are three arms of government, namely: executive, legislature, and judiciary.
However, one of the essential conditions for the smooth operation of democracy is that the judiciary should be independent.
By independent judiciary, we mean that the judiciary should be able to p functions without being influenced by any other arms of government.
That is, the judiciary should not be subjected to political interference or influence from the executive or the legislature.
The independence of the judiciary is necessary so that the judiciary can serve as a check to other arms of government.
If the judiciary is independent, it can hold other branches of government accountable and ensure that they are acting within the limits of the constitution.
An independent judiciary is also necessary to ensure that the rule of law is upheld because the judiciary is the arm of government that ensures that the fundamental rights of citizens are upheld.
Respect for Fundamental Human Rights
Fundamental human rights are the basic rights of citizens that must be upheld by any democratic government.
These rights include freedom of expression, the right to education, and the right to life.
Since democracy is built on the principles of equality and the protection of individual rights, it is imperative that these fundamental human rights be upheld.
If these fundamental human rights are not upheld, then citizens may deem the government as being illegitimate.
As an example, a government that fails to protect the lives of its citizens would be deemed illegitimate and citizens may call for the removal of the government.
Freedom of the press
The press should be free to say and report anything they see.
If there is freedom of the press, then the press will be able to serve as a watchdog to the government by reporting on the actions of the government and exposing corruption and wrongdoing.
Additionally, the freedom of the press can promote freedom of expression and the exchange of ideas by providing a platform for the expression of citizen opinions and facilitating the free exchange of ideas.
Without a free press, citizens may not have access to accurate and unbiased information about their government and may be unable to hold their elected officials accountable.
Hence, a free press is a necessary condition for the success of democracy in any state.
Existence of political parties
A political party is an organization of like-minded people, who shared similar political beliefs and have come together to promote their beliefs through winning elections.
Political parties are essential for the smooth operation of democracy because they provide a means through which people can participate and influence the governance of the state.
Political parties provide citizens with the opportunity to contest elections so that they can influence public policies and decision-making of the state.
It is very important to note that political parties denote the existence of a multi-party system, not a one-party system.
If there is just one political party, democracy will more or less resemble a dictatorial, or totalitarian government.
Indeed, the presence of multiple political parties in a democracy means that the opposition parties can serve as watchdogs for the ruling political party.
