The Liberian leader, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has in a very strong and unremitting tone, told world leaders that African governments should be left alone in determining what their priorities are and whatever choices they make should be respected.

Juxtaposing the essence of democracy to that of development and the argument that the West is placing more emphasis on portions of democracy in Africa, the Liberian leader said, they are intertwined, meaning that one cannot be effectively executed without the other.

But by and large and considering the fact that Africa was used as a case in point, President Sirleaf, without mincing words, informed the leaders around the table that governments of Africa should, without any restrictions, be allowed to decide what they want because "democracy is a matter of choice and not imposition".

The President was responding to concerns raised by one of the panelists, Acting Executive Director of Global Call Action Against Poverty (G-CAP), Kumi Naidoo at a roundtable discussion on "Democracy and Development" during the European Development Days 2009 in Stockholm, Sweden.

The G-CAP Director argued that democracy and development were far from being achieved because developed nations are given less attention, or are trying to bully less developed nations, saying that there was a need for what he called "paradigm shift" in the way the African continent and its people were being approached. He brought into focus the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan where developed nations, particularly the United States, has spend huge sum of money that could be spent in Africa to eradicate poverty.

Speaking in her capacity as one of the panelists at the roundtable discussion on "Democracy and Development, the Liberian leader said, "If you are talking about paradigm shift, we need to really give Africa a chance to exercise its choice, to make sure that our priorities are respected, adding that even-though there is a consistent effort on the part of the world body at the level of the United Nations, but that more was still needed to be done because "what is being done is not enough."

According to the Liberian leader, democracy and development are two highly charged issues of international politics, and are interrelated while at the same time reminded the gathering that democracy is the exercise of choice. The president believes that the ongoing efforts toward a coordinated approach to the issue of enhancing democracy and development are not enough, and she called on world leaders to double up in their collective efforts to create an enabling environment.

Other panelists included Mrs. Gunnilla Carlsson, Swedish Minister of International Cooperation and Development, Dr. Imr Moussa, Secretary General of Arab League, Kumi Naidoo of G-CAP, among many others.