RECENT ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN AFRICA HAVE HELPED TO WEAKEN THE CASE FOR DEMOCRACY ON THE CONTINENT.

Article By: Augustine Brako (University of Ghana, Legon) +233 242 62 81 64

The practice of voting which dates back to the era of foreign domination in the continent has always been fraught with reeking pungent smell of rigging, intimidation, incumbent advantages, conflict and civil wars.

In this essay, I am going to argue about the recent elections and political developments in Africa and whether they have weakened the case for democracy in Africa. I will also touch on why things may seem not to be working.

According to Walter Rodney, Africa has about half of the world resource to feed, clothe and house it citizens but the reverse has been the game in the continent. Claude Ake too argued that poor people enter into politics in the continent just to maximize their chances of lifting themselves from the abject poverty.

However the thoughts of the aforementioned scholars and many others elections in the continent have either resulted in a civil war or power sharing of the political rein. The people have almost always borne the brunt of the skirmishes of political stalemate in the continent. The unending story still being told in Darfur is a scary case in point where through earth scorching tactics of both the Janjaweeds and the government innocent women are raped and children murdered.

In the year 2008 whiles the world celebrates Barack Obama, the first African-American President in US the people in Africa were being torn apart by political infighting in places like Kenya, Guinea, Zimbabwe and Niger. In the previous year of 2007, the Nigeria’s election which saw Mr. Yar’ adua elected nearly broke the fiber that has held the people together by the inability of the second place candidate to accept the outcome of the election.

With the above as backdrops Ghana’s 2008 election raised interest across the world since the country’s democratic practice after 1992 have been nothing but promising. Some international journalists described the election as an “incumbent opposition affair”. Others also called their fears of Ghana’s election degenerating into the “gallows” of Kenya and Zimbabwe. However their fears the end of the election proved ones more that a “light on a mountain cannot be hidden”.

The people proved again that however hard the country was stretched to its wit end their will is stronger than the interest of some selected few to rule them.

Ghana, Botswana, and South Africa are few of the countries in the continent that have proven that democracy can thrive in Africa.

Claude Ake was right when he said that, Africa lacks that critical mass to roller coaster the continent into being competitive in the world.

The recent intifada in the Northern African countries especially, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, and Egypt feeds into the speculation of some scholars that the continent is on the verge of witnessing its “third independence”.

The consistent and constant abuses of human rights in the continent and the raging hunger have raised million questions in the minds of the citizens.

The Zambian born international economist, Dambisa Moyo in her book titled DEAD AID described the unsympathetic and uncaring attitudes of our national leadership in the continent that has insured poverty for the people. The recent attitude of Mr. Yoweri Museveni the Ugandan President is a case in point. His stubborn refusal to allow Mr. Kingsley Obesigey to lead a demonstration and the consistent assault on the opposition leader feed into the “lack of respect” attitude of our leaders.

Again, the stubborn refusal of Col. Muamar Al Gaddafi to relinquish power to allow the Transitional Council of Libya to handle the crisis that has claimed the lives of over five hundred (500) citizens puts a dent on the image of our governments. Why would you vote for a government just for you to be murdered by it?

Also, the refusal of Mr. Laurent Gbagbo to cede power to the internationally acclaimed President-elect Mr. Alassan Ouattara gives a wrong signal in the democratic aspirations of the continent. This was one particular election which fast degenerated into a civil that claimed over 300 lives in the Ivorian capital. Had the international community had heeded the recommendation of Mr. Thabo Mbeki that the election should be re-run or the papers should be re-counted the crisis could have been avoided.

I must be quick to say that, however, the situation in Africa we would be petty to conclude that the continent cannot thrive in the comity of democracies.

Botswana for instant can be described as a success in its democratic practice. The economic growth of the country has been phenomenal. According to the Botswana Statistical Bureau, the country has a literacy rate of 85 per cent.

Ghana too, though young in its democratic practice dating back to the coming into force of the 1992 Republican Constitution, the country has recorded unparallel successes in its general elections right to date. Ghana has witnessed two successful transitional governance from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on 7 January, 2001 and from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on 7 January, 2009.

The story of South Africa a country just resuscitating from the ashes of apartheid is been told on end across the world. At the time of writing this piece, South Africa is seen as an Africa giant with an annual economic growth of a little above 2 per cent.

The stories of Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Niger, Ivory Coast (after the crisis), Guinea, Egypt and Tunisia after their individual struggles which torn the countries into piece are mouthwatering.

However, the skirmishes, the people have shown their resilience and resolved to enter into the heart of the democratic books.

Egypt recently witnessed the persecution of Christians by some die-hard Moslems after their joint opposition of the Mubarak police regime. Some peace loving Moslems have thereafter intensified their call for a secular state to blind divisive line and marry the individual interest of the various religious groupings in the country.

I have been particularly skeptical about the prospect of Africa making it into the next century but the recent incidents in the continent give oxygen of hope to the demoralized.

The United Nation Development Program (UNDP) has estimated that, for the continent to witness increase in economic growth the continent needs to have an annual growth of 7 per cent (7%). Currently, the annual growth of the continent is pegged at a little over 1.7 per cent (1.7 %). This is a great worry but not threatening knowing that Africa has emerging middle class citizens.

A survey conducted on the continent pegged the emerging middle class to about 65 per cent (65).

Stories like the above among others must challenge Africans to do more in their bid to contribute their quota in insuring a “better world” for our children to inhabit.

Aside all the heat the continent has taken and the nay Sayers who predicted the down fall of its countries, the we are still strong and we will not be frustrated by any election infraction. We will match on at all cost.

Augrako4gh@gmail.com/