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haus tively and every endeavour to define it serves only to stab at the heart of democracy.
A pure and ideal democracy relates to a “government of the humble, by the humble, for
the humble” . Yet, notwithstanding the reality that pure and ideal democracies are non-ex-
7
istent and/ or near alien, certain indispensable elements that constitute a democracy have
endured. Of the enduring elements, the overarching element upon which the construct of
democracy rests is the element of the populace, and it is around this nucleus that the other
elements of democracy revolve. The sovereignty in a democracy lies in the sovereignty of
the populace wherein the notion that we the people choose how to be governed in our best
8
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interest is where the sanctity of democracies lies. Throughout the evolution of democracy,
from pre-Athenian ages, when white toga clad men sought to establish direct democracy,
to the twenty-first century, where the broadly chosen flavour of representative democracy
prevails globally, democracies persist as populace centred political systems.

The constituent elements, auxiliary to the populace, in a democratic political system in-
cludes equality amongst all men governed by such system, with respect to all facets of life,
and the appurtenant rights and freedoms, wherein the rule of law is enshrined within such
system so as to guarantee that justice is served equally amongst all citizens of the State; in
the event that the rule of law is violated by an individual or communal entity within the
10
State. Transparency and political participation of the populace are elements of democracy
that inextricably correspond with the other. In that, the political participation of the pop-
ulace in the governance of the State could serve to ensure transparency of the means of
governance adopted by the elected government and/ or their involvement in the furtherance
of their welfare as citizens of a sovereign State.
A democratic political system further includes the focal element of universal franchise
wherein all the citizens of a State are entitled to cast their votes in favor of representatives
of choice thus empowering, and equally obligating, the duly elected representatives to es-
tablish positive law, such as through the Constitution of the State and/ or other legislative
enactments, in view of the protection and promotion of justice. The conglomeration of such
peripheral elements of democracy encompassing a nucleus comprising the populace is the
modus operandi of a democratic political system.

Discussion: the Downsides
The prevalent alienation of ideal democracy is warrantable against the metaphysical
truth of brevity and impermanence of all worldly constructs. The democracy, contempra-

7 ibid
8 Christopher W Morris, ‘The Very Idea of Popular Sovereignty: “We the People” Reconsidered’ in Ellen Frankel Paul,
Fred D Miller Jr. and Jeffrey Paul (eds), Democracy: Volume 17, Part 1 (Cambridge University Press 2000)
9 The preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America bear the words ‘we the people’ as an expression
propagating the notion that the sovereignty is in the people, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more
perfect Union, establish Justice […]”, The Constitution of the United States of America, Preamble
10 “[The rule of law] refers to a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private,
including the State itself, are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently ad-
judicated, and which are consistent with international human rights norms and standards. It requires, as well, measures to
ensure adherence to the principles of supremacy of law, equality before the law, accountability to the law, fairness in the
application of the law, separation of powers, participation in decision-making, legal certainty, avoidance of arbitrariness
and procedural and legal transparency. United Nations, Security Council, The Rule of Law and Transitional Justice in
Conflict and Post-Conflict Societies (Report of the Secretary General, S/2004/616, 2004) para 6