Former Liberian president, George Weah has warned that democracy is in peril when elected governments weaken institutions, corrupt the courts and undermine the safeguards established to restrain executive power.
Weah made the warning while delivering the keynote lecture at the commencement of the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State where he charged lawyers and judges to be fearless in the defence of rule of law and democratic institutions.
“Democracy cannot be sustained by elections alone. The real test of democratic governance is the strength of institutions and the ability of the judiciary and legal profession to hold those in power accountable,” he said, Daily Independent writes.
“Democracy does not live by elections alone. Elections are only the entryway into democracy, not the house itself.
“It is institutions that keep democracy standing and among the most important of these are an independent judiciary and a principled Bar,” he added.
The former Liberian leader warned democratic regimes might be subverted not just through military coups or by defeated politicians refusing to concede elections, but by elected leaders eroding institutional safeguards over time.
He argued that an independent judiciary and a brave Bar are essential to preserve the rights of citizens, to ensure accountability and to prevent abuse of governmental power.
Weah cautioned against regimes which claim to be democratic but then sway judges and judicial institutions to distort the rule of law.
He singled out budgetary controls, politically motivated judicial appointments and pressure on judges among practices capable of undermining judicial independence. Once the courts lose their independence, public confidence, investment, security and national stability are put at risk, he warned.
The former soccer star, now president, urged attorneys across Africa to be vigilant and fight any attempt to compromise the independence of the judiciary, stating that court rulings must be allowed to stand without political influence.
Weah used his own experience in office, noting how he conceded loss in Liberia’s 2023 presidential election before the final results were in. He said the interest of the country and the will of the people must always come before personal ambition.
“In a democratic setting, I have always believed, the will of the people must always take precedence over the ambitions of any one man,” he remarked.
“Disputed elections can threaten national peace and security,” he said, stressing that political leaders must put the survival of democratic institutions above personal or partisan interests.
Weah also called on African governments to confront inadequate governance and weak infrastructure, and also urged greater engagement with the continent’s diaspora and increased investment in institution-building as crucial roads to sustainable development.
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