Write a short paragraph on the topic How Covid 19 impacting Democratic Governance
Answers
The Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the globe will likely have a deep impact on many developing countries, hitting their economies even harder than those of advanced countries. Its toll, however, is likely to extend far beyond the economy. Developing countries, like those in Latin America and the Caribbean, apart from weaker economies, also have more fragile democracies. The crisis could unsettle democratic practices from voting to protests and civil rights, and, ultimately affect trust in democratic institutions themselves.
Consider the issue of voting. Given the dangers of contagion to voters and poll workers, several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have called to delay elections scheduled this year at the national, state, and local levels. Bolivia’s interim government, for example, has postponed its general elections — including the presidential contest- indefinitely, and Chile’s congress has pushed back its constitutional referendum, a key concession in the face of recent protests. Such delays can and should be accompanied by a clear timetable for rescheduling the vote agreed upon by all relevant political actors. But the crisis will undoubtedly affect more than the timing of elections. It could also affect the nature and outcomes of elections by changing who votes, where they vote, and how they vote.