Mario Vargas Llosa Quotes

It is easy to protect the rights to responsible citizens; only a democracy will protect the rights of those who are deemed irresponsible.

It is during our most challenging and uncertain moments that our nation's commitment to due process is most severely tested; and it is in those times that we must preserve our commitment at home to the principles for which we fight abroad

The government, under my leadership, will act to implement the rule of law and to maintain the independence of the judicial system, which is one of the pillars of maintaining a democratic system.

Of course in a democracy the government and the citizens have to abide by court rulings, even if we don't like them or don't agree with them.

Citizenship is a tough occupation which obliges the citizen to make his own informed opinion and stand by it.

We always hear about the rights of democracy, but the major responsibility of it is participation.

Self government is the hardest thing that people can do other than fighting a civil war.

The day must come when the rule of law replaces emergency decrees an when the independent judiciary replace arbitrary justice.

O people of America. The destinies of your country are in your own hands. They are committed to your own keeping. It is for you to say which ye will have, liberty or slavery, knowledge or ignorance, happiness or misery.

As if they could foresee the unforeseeable, the founding fathers laid down principles that have served to prevent the transformation of individual to manipulable quantity, of citizen to subject.

We are not the consumers of democracy, we are its proprietors.

It is a fundamental principle of democracy that citizens obey the law or incur whatever penalty applies to its breaking.

Our Constitution gave us rights as citizens of a free democratic nation, but also placed on us the responsibility to always adhere to the central tenets of our democracy - justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.

Justice, not the majority, should rule.

The job of a citizen is to keep his mouth open.

To threaten the institution is to threaten fair administration of justice and protection of liberty.

Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.

Democracy is not just voting for your leaders; it's really premised upon ordinary citizens understanding the issues.

All Nigerians of voting age are free to vote based on their convictions. It is our duty to defend and protect that basic right, and - let no one be in doubt - we will.

Every friend to the liberty of his country is bound to reflect, and step forward to prevent the dreadful consequences which shall result from a government of events.

Balancing the common good with the freedom and liberty to exercise that individuality has been and remains a challenge for those committed to democracy while understanding that the polis ensures our participation and therefore our citizenship.

We have the Bill of Rights. What we need is a Bill of Responsibilities.

It is not the Government, the members of Parliament to whom the ultimate decision belongs, it is up to you to go forward sure of your sacred right of free opinion, sure of your patriotism.

If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: 'Thou shalt not ration justice.'

To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.