By Tonnie Iredia
No democratic nation is expected to undermine any of the easily recognizable 5 pillars of democracy.
These are: (i)the sovereignty of the people in which government functions only on behalf of the people (ii) the rule of law which presupposes the absence of arbitrariness in a society where everyone is equal before the law iii) free and fair elections, that is, periodic contests which throw up political leaders that are truly determined by only the electorate (iv) majority rule in which government is formed by the political party which has the highest number of lawful votes and (v) minority rights in which government is obliged to protect the rights of the vulnerable and powerless segments of society.