Most people in the relatively stable
democratic nations of the world would find it rather difficult to
understand why democracy should be causing so much pain in the so-called
third world nations. The assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December
2007 and the consequent turmoil of Pakistan followed by the killings of
hundreds of citizens in Kenya in the aftermath of allegedly rigged
presidential elections, further reminded peoples of the peaceful
democratic nations that what they now take for granted in their own
nations never comes on a platter of gold.
The United States of America gained its independence from Britain in
1776. However, the Americans had to fight a system which made them pay
tax without being represented in parliament. “No taxation without
representation” was the memorable slogan of their war and their
declaration which must guide democracy anywhere in the world is the
assertion that “all men and women are created equal”. The determination
to give effect to that important declaration would later lead to
constitutionalists to prohibit the American citizen from bearing a title
of nobility. The now problematic gun culture – the right of the
American citizen to have a gun- was also intended to achieve that end.
However, America is still democratising because the assertion of
equality of all men and women excluded blacks for the great part of the
nation’s history. The history of de jure acceptance of blacks as equal
to whites is only about fifty years old, coming into effect with the
Civil Rights legislation of the 1960s, while de facto acceptance of
equality is still evolving. However, things are looking good because
substantial progress has been made.
Neither can Great Britain claim to have perfected its democracy. The
nature and extent of privileges enjoyed by the Monarchy is an on-going
debate. The history of democracy in Britain has been a history of the
ordinary citizen challenging the Crown and the so-called royal
prerogative. It is also a history of organised challenge to the
assumptions of the aristocracy. The British Monarch is now a mere
constitutional one – courtesy of the revolt led by Oliver Cromwell in
the 17th century – while many other European countries including France,
Germany and Russia, got rid of theirs in violent revolutions. The
emergence of a controversial King or Queen could spell the end of the
monarchy in Britain.
Be that as it may, democracy and its institutions crept in gradually.
The right to vote did not come to many on a platter of gold.
Requirements of property and education meant many were excluded from the
democratic process. Voting rights did not come to women until quite
recently. We may now refer to some societies as civilised not least
because their citizens readily comply to rules and regulations but such
civility did not come about easily. In Britain, for instance, there was
once a time when a relatively minor offence attracted severe
punishment. Convicts were ex-communicated and distant Australia became
more or less Britain’s prison for such convicts.
The universal definition of democracy is that provided by the great
Abraham Lincoln as “the government of the people, for the people, and
by the people”. Democracy is not just an approach to political
governance but a culture which touches on every facet of human life.
The major problem of democracy in some societies is that it is a new
value system in competition with already established structure which are
at best contradictory. The authoritarian feudal structures of some
societies derive their authenticity from tradition and religion. Until
the contradictions of state and society have been resolved, our
democracy will be a mere imitation of what obtains somewhere else.
In Nigeria, for instance, the traditional system co-exists with the
modern democratic system. There is nothing like the King or Queen of
Nigeria but traditional rulers exist as heads of cities, towns and
villages. The British approached political governance in Nigeria
through a system of indirect rule, making use of the Chiefs. The
politician seeking political power wants to be in the good books of the
traditional ruler and some might want to parade a chieftaincy title of
some sort. Traditional rulers are among the most affluent in Nigerian
society; those in big cities receive multiple salaries from local
government councils in their areas of jurisdiction. It is hard to
envisage a revolution that would end Nigeria’s traditional
institutions.
The electoral democracy into which we were introduced has been
characterised by failure. The rigging culture has become our electoral
culture. The recent events in Kenya are also an indication that
election rigging is an African disease. The typical African leader does
not believe in leaving office voluntarily or in being defeated in the
process of re-election. If the Constitution stipulates two terms, the
typical African leader interprets it to mean a minimum of two terms in
office. Mr Kwai Kibaki of Kenya is a most recent example, while Robert
Mugabe of Zimbabwe has been one long term mis-leader in that respect.
The United States of America has been governed by one constitution since
1787, while Britain is not even guided by a written one; the typical
African leader believes the Constitution could be changed at every
conceivable opportunity, to suit his whims and caprices.
Is there a future for democracy in Africa? One likes to be optimistic
and therefore say there is. One’s optimism derives from the belief that
education can play a big part in the future of democracy in our
continent. Most of the current crop of African leaders (or rulers)
belong to the first generation of educated men and women in their
respective families, while the percentage of the educated in society
itself is generally low. True democracy belongs to the future when a
more assertive, refined and rational citizenry dominates the political
space. With successive generations of educated men and women the
outlook on life will be a lot different from what it currently is. A
country like Britain can boast of more than a thousand years of
education; the University of Oxford is more than 900 years old while
Nigeria’s oldest university, the University of Ibadan will be 60 this
year. The point one is trying to make here is that ours is still a very
young nation.
Future economic outlook will also bolster democracy. The current
generation knows no other route to wealth and fame other than politics
but that should change when economic opportunities widen. Look at Al
Gore and the name he has made for himself on the issue of Climate
Change, which is to say a man or woman of stature can find relevance
outside partisan politics. When corrupt politicians retire to nowhere
other than prison, those who seek wealth will know where to go. The
Press and Judiciary in Nigeria are doing a good job but the people
themselves must feel democratic for democracy to be the culture they so
much crave.
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