An Assessment of Kwasi Wiredu’s Consensual Democracy: Towards a More Viable Alternative Political System

Abstract

Abstract This paper undertakes a critical examination of Kwasi Wiredu’s argument for a non-party consensual democracy in contemporary African societies. Wiredu advocates for this as an alternative to majoritarian democracy which, he argues, shuts out the interests and aspirations of the minority and breeds political instability. The paper argues that the non-party consensual democracy does not fit into the complex needs of contemporary African societies. The paper also admits that majoritarian democracy, as it is currently practised in most African societies, is inadequate in achieving the socio-political ideals of a democratic setting. However, the paper maintains that majoritarian democracy has the features, which are lacking in non-party consensual democracy, that can be modified, broadened and developed to achieve the democratic ideals that can help address the challenges of contemporary African societies. Thus, outside the strict choice between a return to non-party consensual democracy and the currently-practised majoritarian democracy, the paper proposes a broadened but modified model of the majoritarian form of democracy which has roots in majoritarian democracy but differs on the grounds of its substantial incorporation of democratic standards lacking in majoritarian democracy.