Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)

I am pleased to have an opportunity to speak today on the International Day of Democracy. It is only fitting that on this day we extend greetings of solidarity to people across the world who are striving to achieve democracy and independence, be they people from the Basque country, Palestine, Syria or Libya.

Democracy is a universal value based on the freely expressed will of people to determine their political, economic, social and cultural systems and full participation in all aspects of their lives. While democracies share common features, there is no single model of democracy. The term "democracy" is often used and abused. Just as there is no single model of democracy, the word can mean different things to different people.

The values of freedom, respect for human rights and the principle of holding periodic and genuine elections by universal suffrage are essential elements of democracy. In turn, democracy provides the natural environment for the protection and effective realisation of human rights. As politicians there is a special onus on us to ensure that the outcome of elections are upheld and respected, even if they do not always marry with our preferred outcome. Democracy is not best served when the political leaders of this State are more interested in kneeling before European paymasters than in standing up for the democratic wishes of the Irish people, as expressed in recent referenda on European treaties. One need only look to the Lisbon treaty to get an idea of how the democratic wishes of the Irish people were respected or, to be more precise, not respected. There is a huge challenge facing this State in terms of how we shape our democracy. Large swathes of Irish people do not engage in the democratic process. Even larger swathes of Irish people are not allowed to engage in the democratic process.

The upcoming presidential election only serves to highlight the democratic deficit which partition has brought about on the Irish people. How can any Government justify not extending voting rights in presidential elections to all people living on this island? If we truly believe in democracy then we should be extending voting rights to citizens living in the Six Counties. As an elected representative of the Irish people, I look forward to the day when we have a Parliament which no longer only serves a section of the Irish people but truly is Dáil Éireann in name and practice, serving a 32 county Ireland.

Over recent months we have witnessed what many have witnessed what many have termed the Arab Spring. People in Libya, Egypt, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain, to name just a few, have stood up for their democratic right to freedom from oppression. Hundreds of thousands of people throwing off the shackles of dictatorship and demanding real democracy. This is to be welcomed, encouraged and supported. Let us hope they achieve their aspirations and that no external influences try to foist their view of democracy on them.

As a nation which declared our independence without International support, I hope that this Government supports the right of Palestine to be formally recognised as a state. So, as we celebrate International Day of Democracy let us recommit ourselves to embracing and growing our own democracy. Let us redouble our efforts to try and ensure that the maximum number of people on this island engage in the democratic process. Let us have an honest, open debate on real political reform. Let us look at novel ways to encourage full participation in the political process. The Proclamation of 1916 states that we aspire to a permanent national Government representative of the people of all Ireland and elected by the suffrages of all her men and women, a Republic which guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation, cherishing all of the children of the nation equally. That must be our aim. Achieving this goal is the best way we can celebrate International Day of Democracy.

See this speech in context