Democracy must grow beyond regular elections, says NALT

A social group, National Association of Liberated Tigers (NALT), has urged African nations to explore true democratic tenents to overcome the shortcomings of regular elections.

The International President of NALT, Mr Obinna Amoke, said this in a post-convention statement he made available to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.

The theme of the convention, which held in Enugu on Tuesday is: “Social Movement, Social Justice and the Future of Democracy.”

Amoke described Nigeria as one of the most `politically challenged` nations of the world with high indices of abuse of the incumbency powers and corruption.

He said the country was also faced the challenges of rising poverty levels and religious intolerance.

“In many countries especially in Africa, politicians have used the holding of regular elections to claim the existence of democracy, whereas in reality these countries can be best described as elected autocracies.

“Many deeply divided societies such as ours since the 1990s have turned to democracy as a way to exit intractable conflict, institutionalised marginalisation and corruption,” he said.

He said democracy also presented the opportunities for developing countries to address inequalities, adding that unfortunately this dream had not materialised in many instances.

In his remarks, Dr Obi Nweze, one of the founding fathers of the organisation, admonished its members to always remain faithful to the ideals of the group, including helping the needy.

He said that every chapter had been mandated to publish its statement of account every two months, adding that Zonal Representatives position had been abolished to enhance efficiency in its operations.

Dr Chukwuemeka Eze, the Director Democratic Futures in Africa, Open Society Foundations, in a keynote said that social justice remained the lifeblood of democracy.

Eze’s keynote had as its title:: Social Movement, Social Justice and the Future of Democracy: The Role of NALT Club in the Reimagination of Democratic Ethos.”

He cautioned against the country sliding into a one party state, and charged NALT members to always advocate a robust space that allows for the expression of interests and options.

“I have been a tireless defender of democracy all my life because I am convinced it is the political system most conducive to peace, sustainable development, the rule of law and the respect for human rights.

“But even in democracy’s historic heartlands, we are witnessing a shift in the perceptions and practice of democracy.

“This is evidenced by the ever lower levels of voter participation, falling membership of political parties and declining trust in politicians and institutions,” he said.

Also speaking, the Director of Media and Strategic Communication, Chief Cassidy Madueke, said that the convention would interrogate the connection between socio-economic and political issues within Nigeria’s social movements.

“We are here to deliberate on practical ways and measures of ensuring social justice in the country.

“The programme is aimed at the downtrodden, widows, widowers and the indigent youths; they need the assistance of clubs like NALT. It will help them to exist and have a better life,” Madueke said.

Supreme news reports that the high point of the event was the medical outreach and the presentation of free drugs to members of the public.

It also featured the distribution of food items and cash to the needy, especially widows and widowers.