NEW OPTIMISM ABOUT AFRICA’S DEMOCRATISATION PROCESS
Introduction
The world’s first instinct is to condemn Africa about the democratisation
process. However, statistics have shown that between 1989 and 2000, 70
presidential elections were held involving more than 1 candidate compared to
only 9 countries having competitive elections during 1985 to 1989. In this
discussion, I will look at the positive side, optimism concerning the
democratization process of Africa
Gloom about the prospect of democracy in Africa
Van der Walle caution against gloom about the prospect of democracy in
Africa. A vast majority of African states has multiparty electoral regimes. The
dangers of the current gloom can tempt us to underrate the gains realised over
the last decade, which was a clear improvement. It also tempts us to hold
African democracies to impossibly strict standards of liberal democracy, when
even matured Western democracies cannot meet it consistently.
Disappointment tempts us to group all sub-Saharan Africa’s several dozen
multiparty policies into the same category of “imperfect democracy”.
Positive signs
Democratization has not failed uniformly in Africa. Examples of good
democratizations are South Africa, Tanzania and Benin. Some military rulers
exchanged military fatigues for civilian suits, transforming themselves into
leaders of political parties and contested elections.
Democracy is now taken seriously in Africa. There is no appearance of a
longing for the authoritarian system. Political conditionalities and fear of
, losing much needed Western donor aid persuaded African leaders to adhere to
democracy. Sanctions could be imposed for non-adherence to democracy,
which is monitored by UN, Commonwealth and EU. Sub-regional organisations
(eg SADIC) plays a part in enforcing or observance of democratic rule
Classification according to Freedom House classification
Very few elections in Africa could be regarded as satisfactory, which results in
hybrid regimes. This results in low intensity democracy and a lack of civil
liberties. According to van Walle, states can be catogorised as Liberal
Democracies, Electoral Democracies, Electoral Autocracies. Elections could be
classified as free, partly free and not free.
Long democratic governance
Some countries have long and experienced democratic governance like
Botswana and Mauritius. It exhibit reasonably effective instruments of
horizontal accountability. Checks and balances are within the state structures:
the procedures of government institution to hold each other to account and
ensure that no agency stands above the rule of law or intrudes on the rights
and privileges of other. In contrast to this, some countries were found to have
elections but not much change is experienced. Cameroon, Gambia and
Mauritania show a type of multiparty rule that does not threaten the hold of
the incumbent’s power.
“In between”
Africa regimes fall in the “inbetween” category. It means that it lies between
fully fledged democracies (SA, Botswana) which have credible elections with a
possibility of an electoral turnover and Electoral autocracies (Zimbabwe, Togo)
with no credible elections and no possibility for an electoral turnover. The
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