CAN DEMOCRACY WORK IN AFRICA?
Events in Ivory Coast since the Presidential Election paint a very pathetic and comic-tragedy of the kinds of Leadership we have in our dear continent Africa.
Some of us have all along believed and passionately hold the view that both the Ecowas and Africa Union is nothing but a bunch of useless Heads of States who can not even organize a “piss up in a brewery”to put mildly.
Can any one in Africa point to a single crisis in Africa where these lot came out and did something concrete and positive? All that they are good at are meetings upon meetings and end up issuing long and confusing statements which never see day-light and are never put to any use.
I ask my fellow Africans to applaud the United Nations and the French instead of condemning them. If not for their intervention,our brothers and sisters will to this day continue to be slaughtered in Ivory Coast by Laurent Gbagbo’s brigands.
It is so sad and pathetic that Laurent Gbagbo who is reputed to be a History Professor fails to learn from history. At any rate he is not the only one on the continent with such warped and megalomaniac believe that they are the only ones to rule their country until death do them part,hence they rig elections and even when they lose still cling to power. Just look at Moi Kibaki of Kenya,Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe,Paul Biya of Cameroon,Blaise Camporae of Burkina Faso, Museveni of Uganda---the list is endless. It pains me to say this but it is becoming patently obvious that some of our Leaders are born with an inherently inferior brains ,if not how come that most if not all of them have lived and been educated abroad but fail to apply common-sense when it comes to ruling their subjects. All that they are interested in is how much they can loot from their state coffers and stack such looted monies in foreign accounts.
My advice to both Africa Union and Ecowas is to do the following in their next meeting: a) Let all of you sign a binding declaration that no African Head of State should rule in his/her country for more than 8 years. b) Any children of a departing Head of State can not be a President unless after a lapse of 10 years. c) The above declaration should be binding on all States and if possible should be put to a Referendum in each State
I know the above is a tall order and will be kicked into touch by our kleptomaniac rulers but what hope is there for Africa?
As Winston Churchill once famously said “Democracy may not be the best form of Government but the alternative is worse”
For peace to prevail in Ivory Coast justice must be manifestly seen to be done. For that matter,Laurent Gbagbo must be put on trial outside Ivory Coast and if found guilty must be made to face the full rigours of the law.
As the saying goes,where there is no justice their will be no peace. Regrettably our current Government does not come out of this debacle smelling of roses. From the word go,our Government kept sending confusing and unambiguous messages which made some of us feel ashamed to be Ghanaians. Honestly speaking I don’t think our current Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Mumuni knows his job. This is a typical case of putting a square peg in a round hole. The guy is simply out of his depth..
Having said all these,the question still remains “ Can Democracy work in Africa? Yes it can provided we put in place independent institutions which cannot be manipulated and controlled by the any President whilst insisting that no one rules for more than 8 years and that the ruler can not be succeeded by his offspring until after a cooling period of 10 years.
Above all we should not sell our birth-rites but insist that the right things are done. The price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance. Can it be done? Yes we can.
Kwaku.Kele.Ashiagbor
