by Indy Maealasia
Opposition Leader Manasseh Sogavare has challenged Solomon Islanders to look beyond elections and take greater responsibility for protecting the country’s democracy.
In a statement marking International Day of Democracy today, the four-time former prime minister said democracy must be measured by what happens between elections, not simply by the casting of ballots every four years.
Sogavare said the principle that “all power in Solomon Islands belongs to its people” must remain at the centre of the country’s democratic system.
“Democracy cannot be reduced to the casting of a ballot,” he said.
He said democracy also depended on whether citizens were properly informed, able to question decisions made in their name and whether Parliament could perform its constitutional responsibilities without unnecessary interference.
It also required respect for public institutions, accountability from leaders and equal application of the rule of law, he said.
Sogavare, one of Solomon Islands’ longest-serving politicians, said citizens themselves had a responsibility to uphold democratic values.
“I have previously said that participation in democracy is not only a right, it is also a duty,” he said.
“That duty belongs to all of us.”
He warned against citizens demanding accountability from political leaders while refusing to accept responsibility for their own conduct.
“We cannot demand accountability from our leaders while excusing ourselves from responsibility as citizens,” he said.
“We cannot demand honesty in public office while tolerating dishonesty when it serves our own interests.”
Sogavare also called for greater tolerance of political differences, stressing that disagreement between Government and Opposition was a normal and necessary part of parliamentary democracy.
“An Opposition that questions Government is not an enemy of Government,” he said.
“A Government that is subjected to scrutiny is not prevented from governing.”
He said the two sides had different constitutional responsibilities, with Opposition scrutiny serving as an important check on government power.
“Where Government acts in the national interest, the Opposition should support it. Where questions must be asked, we must ask them. Where accountability is required, we must insist upon it,” he said.
But Sogavare also drew a line between legitimate political disagreement and disorder, intimidation or violence.
“Democracy must never become an excuse for disorder, intimidation or violence,” he said.
He said political grievances must be pursued through democratic and constitutional processes, warning that abandoning those processes because of an unfavourable political outcome would weaken democracy.
Sogavare also urged Solomon Islands to develop a democratic system rooted in its own history and traditions rather than simply copying models from elsewhere.
He said traditional communities had long understood concepts of collective responsibility, leadership obligations and the wider impact of decisions on communities.
“The challenge for Solomon Islands is therefore not simply to copy democracy as it is practised elsewhere,” he said.
“Our challenge is to make democracy meaningful within our own national experience, while protecting the fundamental principles upon which our constitutional democracy rests.”
With Solomon Islands approaching its 50th anniversary of independence, Sogavare said the country should be asking what kind of democracy it wants to leave for the next generation.
“A democracy that exists only on election day will not be enough,” he said.
He called for a democracy grounded in the Constitution, strengthened by institutions, informed by culture and tradition, protected by the rule of law and sustained by citizens and leaders who understand that rights come with responsibilities.
“Democracy belongs to the people,” Sogavare said.
“We must therefore take responsibility for it together.”