Here was the man who had spent six years marginalizing the very group he was addressing -- who had never signed the Basic Law passed by the legislature that established a separation of powers -- demanding "firmer bases of democracy, rule of law, independent judiciary".
On 17 October, at a ceremony commemorating its foundation attended by figures across the political spectrum, Elias Atallah declared that the movement was founded on three principles: "[First], we are preachers of real social and cultural change on the bases of democracy, national independence and reconciliation with the Arab nation and Arab nationalism.
"Rap is part of that spoken tradition," he said, "and representative of the spontaneity of invention, and is associated with the broad base of our democracy".
Fernandez-allied lower house member Diana Conti said the bill "is neither opportunistic nor demagogic," but rather seeks "to widen the electoral base of our democracy".
Just as a new generation of African-American, Latino and Asian Pacific Islander baseball heroes are electrifying the game and changing the fan base, the new generation of African-American, Latino and AAPI political all-stars are changing the voter base and candidate base of our democracy.
Oyjai Suangchaiyaphum, a 55-year-old protester who was sleeping at the base of Democracy Monument, said that attackers fired at least two grenades and an automatic weapon toward their encampment.
He claimed that he was "determined to lead Chad, with the participation of all its citizens, to the system of government longed for by all: a system of government based on democracy".
In a news conference on Thursday in London, Mr. Blair responded to questions about the description, saying that Britain was committed to fighting for a "vision of the Middle East based on democracy, liberty and the rule of law".
The "cold war" between Seoul and Tokyo these days is seriously impairing the basis of pragmatic partnership based on democracy and the free market system.
Eventually, Iranians will have to choose between two dramatically different visions of their nation's future, one based on democracy and the rule of law, the other premised on arbitrary religious authority.
