A Democracy Scholar affiliated with the Hoover Institute and Stanford University, Prof. Larry Diamond, has voiced his apprehensions regarding the global regression of democracy.Highlighting a decline in the number of democracies worldwide compared to a decade ago, Prof. Diamond noted citizens' increased discontent with their governments.During an interview on The Point of View on Citi TV, hosted by Bernard Avle, Prof.

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Diamond cited countries such as Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Tunisia, where insurgencies have erupted.“Democracy is in decline globally, which means there are fewer democracies now than it was 10 years ago. More countries have been living in democracy than have been moving to it. Witnessed Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Tunisia, if you want to go further North, the only Arab countries that had democracy no longer has it.

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“We have had troubles in Latin America. We’ve had troubles elsewhere in Africa. South Africa is not doing very well right now democratically because of bad governance.”“So, if you ask why [I say democracy is in decline], one reason is the failure to control corruption. The poor quality of governance and the rule of law are often a leading indicator.

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But there’s also a trend of greater social polarization as a result of social media, and disinformation, particularly from authoritarian actors like Russia and China,” he asserted.Prof. Diamond attributed the erosion of democracy to governmental failures in curbing corruption and ensuring effective governance.

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He also underscored the exacerbation of social polarization due to the proliferation of social media and disinformation campaigns, particularly originating from Russia and China."The decline in democracy can be attributed to governments' inability to curb corruption and uphold the rule of law. Additionally, the rise of social media has fueled social divisions, exacerbated by disinformation campaigns from authoritarian regimes," he explained.Prof.

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Diamond emphasized citizens' heightened expectations for economic progress, juxtaposed with disappointments stemming from the global economic downturn since the 2008 financial crisis.While acknowledging citizens' enduring faith in democracy, Prof. Diamond stressed the urgent need for global efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and combat corruption.

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“More democracies are failing, and it seems to be on trial because it’s often yielding to authoritarian rule, via military coups we have seen in West Africa. We have a lot of work to do to show that democracy can be made to work, and can become more effective. To fight corruption and improve the rule of law,” he opined.

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governments must address citizens' economic grievances and combat corruption to restore trust in democratic governance," he advocated.

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