EDITORIAL: The vagaries of street democracy

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - The conundrum brought on by the overthrow of the Muhammed Morsi government in Egypt represents the greatest test for democracy as we know it. It represents the limited power of the ballot as we know it and breeds perpetual disorder.
There seems a growing trend of taking to the streets to achieve political change, which is being seen across the world as a major challenge to the ideal of democratic change by the orderly process of the ballot box.
The bedrock of democracy is majority rule with minority rights and there should be some checks and balances on the exercise of power. The problem for the Middle East is that while many in the West profess the need for democracy, they sometimes loathe the outcome of the ballot.