By Arley Gill

The so-called Arab Spring has provided the world with a successful model of modern-day coup d’états. Granted, Egypt and those other Arab countries did not have western-style Westminster democracies.

To those of us who live in countries where Westminster is practiced, attempted and is prominent, we said to ourselves that this Arab Spring seems to be the natural result of oppressive regimes. So, with the urgings and under the influence of the western press, we applauded for most part the happenings in those Middle East countries.

Now, this moment and this day, in Ukraine and Thailand we are witnessing societies being torn apart by not dissimilar activities to the Arab Spring. Demonstrations begin; then, bit by bit, the crowd gets larger. Next, protest leaders decide – often times through social media – that they will not leave the capital city until the government goes.

It all starts peacefully. But, after a few days or a week or thereabouts, the protestors become restless and a little looting takes place somewhere. The police and security forces step in to maintain law and order – as they should – and then they are pelted with stones, bottles and whatever else can be found by the protestors.

Security personnel defend themselves and that leads to an escalation between the two sides, frequently with demonstrators suffering the worst of the casualties.

The situation further spirals out of control and the next level is often riots and then civil war.

At the point of civil war, powerful foreign nations impose sanctions against the warring state or – in the case of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi – they begin bombings of the government’s defence system.

The inevitable result: the government of the day is toppled.

The opposition forces in Venezuela are aware of the template outlined above for removing governments. It was just last year Nicolas Maduro won an election to become President of Venezuela.

Venezuela, of course, is a democratic country with periodic elections like the United States and other countries in the western hemisphere that are grouped together in the Organization of American States.

So, there is a duly elected government in Venezuela. As in any other democracy the government of the day will not please every citizen – much less the opposition – with every decision that it makes.

Imagine, however, what will happen if every time a government makes a decision people take to the streets; it destroys the very essence of parliamentary democracy. In such a scenario, that country might as well be ruled by the mob.

In a democracy, the majority of persons, qualified by age to vote, determine at the polls on who should make decisions on their behalf. There will always be a minority that differs.

That minority must campaign and mobilize it resources to win over a majority of voters for the next election. If they decide to take to the streets instead, what should the government of the day do?

Should they allow opposition forces to take over government offices as happened in Thailand? Burn down the capital city like in Kiev, the Ukraine? What should be done? It makes democracy look like a farce.

I am of the view that what is happening in Caracas, Venezuela, is no accident. It is a calculated attempt by the opposition to overthrow the government, imitating the recently established model of the coup d’état that appears to have created more problems than it solved in Egypt, Libya and other Middle East countries.

Arley Gill is a former Grenada government minister responsible for information and culture