More than 500 political and civil society leaders, Nobel laureates and rights groups warned yesterday that some governments were using the coronavirus pandemic to"tighten their grip on power", undermining democracy and civil liberties.
In an open letter signed by former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, actor Richard Gere and Nobel Peace Prize laureates Shirin Ebadi, Lech Walesa and Jose Ramos-Horta, among others, the authors called the ongoing pandemic a"formidable global challenge to democracy". "Democracy is under threat, and people who care about it must summon the will, the discipline and the solidarity to defend it," the authors wrote.The letter - the aim of which is to raise"awareness and mobilise citizens" - was initiated by the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
"Just as the pandemic is already having massive economic and social consequences, it is very likely already having very profound political consequences," Mr Kevin Casas-Zamora, the organisation's secretary-general said.
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