Africa’s Democratic Momentum – Africa.com
go through Ebenezer Obadale
Contrary to the doomsdayers, liberal democracy is gathering strength on the continent.
Judging by the tone of recent commentary coming out of Africa, liberal democracy is already in a very dangerous state, indeed, everywhere you look across the continent, disillusioned Africans are desperate to replace it with “homegrown” alternatives . According to this account, Africa’s dissatisfaction with liberal democracy stems from its perceived failure to make progress on the vital issue of economic development, particularly the material well-being of millions of people on the continent.
Although Nigerian politician Olusegun Obasanjo is the most visible and persistent advocates of this narrativeusing successive local and international forums to declare the shortcomings of liberal democracy – at least in his view – and to argue for what he calls “african democracy,” and he is by no means alone. There is considerable sympathy throughout African scholarship for the idea that a tired, ineffective, and culturally incommensurable system of “Western” liberal democracy has taken over the continent Popular.
Obasanjo’s team is not wrong about the public’s frustration. Its error lies in interpreting it as evidence of a rejection of liberal democracy. On the contrary, as evidenced by incidents and events across Africa (more on this later), African support for liberal democratic principles has never been stronger, clearly contradicting trends in advanced liberal democracies. For a variety of reasons too complex to address here, cynicism about liberal democracy has been rising. According to the first report from the Afrobarometer 2024 Flagship Report (PDF), support for democracy in Africa remains strong: “Two-thirds (66%) of Africans say they prefer democracy to any other system of government, and an overwhelming majority reject one-man rule (80%), One-party rule (78%) and military rule (66%) It is understandable, therefore, that an ostensible rejection of liberal democracy is actually a frustration with the slow pace of economic reform and democratic consolidation. In other words, want more democracy, not less.
Regular elections and growing concern about their results are one manifestation of this desire. In the records of the African continent, By the end of 2024“, “Twenty-two African countries will hold some form of electoral contest, either for president, national legislators or local leaders. ” Granted, elections themselves don’t mean much, especially if they don’t produce economic “dividends,” which data show remain unavailable to most Africans. However, they are important in a country that was (still?) largely dominated by The importance of elections, which are known to hold political power and are the most trustworthy and effective means of arbitrating political competition, cannot be underestimated in situations where, for whatever reason, elections are rarely held. (somalia No democratic vote in fifty years Mozambique The first ever multi-party legislative and presidential elections were held only in 1994), or were not held as scheduled (last month’s presidential election Somaliland occurs after a two-year delay); hosting these events is a matter of civic pride and national defiance (see Somaliland), or the outcome is more or less guaranteed.
Despite the uproar over several elections, there are other reasons to celebrate African elections. this Smooth transition of power in BotswanaThe Botswana Democratic Party has controlled Botswana since independence from Britain in 1966, signaling a seemingly declining political maturity, especially in advanced liberal democracies. election at seventy-two i was called As Namibia’s first female president, it’s a big step forward for gender equality on the continent, where women are still overlooked in most cases. Somaliland, the total national budget for 2023 is $421.5 million (By the way, legal voting age is fifteen (PDF)), a permanent reminder that poverty need not be a deterrent to the consolidation of democracy.
Outside the polling stations, enthusiasm for equal representation across Africa is relentless. In Somalia, the Islamist group al-Shabaab has been in control for the better part of two decades, leaving the country far behind in development, but women continue to Promote gender equality and against all forms of gender-based violence, including domestic abuse, rape and female genital mutilation. In northern Nigeria, The social devastation caused by Boko Haram (PDF) and their fellow terrorists draw attention to the urgent need for religious freedom and education, especially for girls. Across the Sahel, military rule and the abuses that came with it appear to have quickly fallen out of favor, and in a final paradox, military rule and the abuses that came with it have already fallen out of favor. triggered calls for a return to democratic rule.
To be sure, challenges abound. post-election dissatisfaction (think Mozambique and Namibia) is a reminder of how ruling parties continue to use the power of incumbents to shape election outcomes. For too many African leaders, the temptation to extend their terms through constitutional engineering remains irresistible. Islamic terrorism is growing in various parts of the continent, posing a threat to long-term political stability.
All in all, however, the arrow points firmly in the direction of progress. The United States can help (it is, after all, still the most vibrant democracy in the world) because it knows it can be both a student and a mentor, learning from African countries (should it, for example, learn from Somaliland) and Lower the legal voting age? ) even as it continues to help strengthen their democratic forces and institutions.
Liberal democracy is strengthening across Africa. People just need to know where to look.
Nathan Schoonover contributed to the research for this article.
source: council on foreign relations
