The chimera of democracy [Archives:2006/961/Letters to the Editor]

Shatha Ja'afar A'abass
[email protected]
Democracy is a system of government that calls for every citizen in a country to be able to vote so as to elect their government officials. Yet in Yemen we define democracy as a play in which the president acts like he doesn't want the presidency but tells the nation to compel him to stand for elections again, just because he is driven by the desire to get reelected. Over the past 44 years, the country has thought that it has made great advances since the revolution. It seems, however, like nothing has changed.

How can we trust a man that can't make his mind up? Have we forgotten that a nation should totally trust it's president? Our leader makes rickety decisions, but he remains stable in his lucrative position. Our government is trying to tell the whole world that a false belief may nevertheless be justified. In other words, the illusion of 'democracy' is under our president, is better than no democracy at all.

I say, let's just call Yemen a kingdom and have a royal life. At least then we wouldn't have to lie to each other about living in a democracy.
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