Skip to main content

Power Sharing Deals: Turning Democracy Upside Down

September 15, 2008

Yesterday (15th September 2008) was United Nations World Democracy day. Accidentally, on that same day, there was a formal signing of a South Africa brokered power shearing agreement between Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe. Under this arrangement, Tsvangirai is to function as prime minister controlling amongst other key ministries the Police, while Robert Mugabe who remains President is to retain control of the countries armed forces.

Yesterday (15th September 2008) was United Nations World Democracy day. Accidentally, on that same day, there was a formal signing of a South Africa brokered power shearing agreement between Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe. Under this arrangement, Tsvangirai is to function as prime minister controlling amongst other key ministries the Police, while Robert Mugabe who remains President is to retain control of the countries armed forces.


Morgan Tsvangirai the opposition presidential candidate of the MDC in the last general elections in Zimbabwe is believed to have won that elections but the re-run election ordered under questionable circumstances was contested only by Mugabe following the pulling out of Tsvangirai who protested the brutality being mated on his supporters by forces loyal to the President. Mugabe won and swore him self in. Tsvangirai cried foul and got the worlds attention.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });

The weeks of drama laden negotiation led to the power sharing agreement. Many people would want to celebrate the signing of the agreement in Zimbabwe as a land mark achievement for democracy. They would be right in some way as if nothing else, the People of that economically stressed state who in drones have sought asylum in neighbouring countries can now return home and heave a sign of relief. Peace as an essential component for human existence is precious and if the deal will bring that, I guess it is worth celebrating. Outside that however, there is nothing else to cheer about as the deal in Zimbabwe is a suicide on Democracy. Gradually, we are getting into a situation where African leaders with there penchant for wanting to remain perpetually in power would loose election, use force to intimidate the opposition, rig the election, and swear themselves back into office. When the real winner of the election cries foul and shows an ability to cause trouble, they are quickly invited to a negotiation table and a power sharing agreement is worked out. In that way, the old leader remains in power while placating the authentic winner of the election with a share of the power.

That is what I call turning democracy up side down. Earlier in the year, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya lost the polls, declared him self winner, and swore himself in. when Raila Odinga refused to swallow what was indeed an open day robbery and called out the people for mass protests, he was called to the negotiation table and power was shared. He became prime minister while Kibaki retained the presidency. Taking a cue from Kenya, the situation is repeating itself in Zimbabwe just few months after. With so many African Countries billed to hold elections later this year, we might have as well provided the incumbent leaders the right formula for remaining in office despite being unpopular and unwanted. With the prevailing circumstance all African Leaders most of who have over stayed their welcome but whose greed for power and the spoils of office will not want to leave office need to do is to bastardize the electoral process and then get to share power with the real winner. This is a rape of every thing that democracy stands for. The situation appears to be even worse in Nigeria where the people seem always contended with the status quo.

We seem more prepared to grumble in the safety of our bedrooms about our Government than to ever come out to openly challenge it. We are like Fela once sang, afraid of every thing. While Kenya’s marched out to say No when Kibaki stole power, Nigerians will never do same. Those who lost in elections that were so brazenly rigged are asked to go to the Tribunals to seek redress in the interest of democracy. While such people are at the tribunals spending away what ever is left of their finances, the election rigger is in office enjoying unrestricted access to the state treasury and using state funds to execute the court case. Could there be anything said to be fair about such a system. Worst still, the tribunal process progresses at snail speed and when finally a verdict is given it is in most cases at best a re-run. Between the financially worn out plaintiff and the illegal occupant of the office, who is better placed to win the re-run? We can thus say in essence that African Countries have successfully turned democracy upside down and we would be deceiving ourselves in rolling out the drums to celebrate the existence of genuine democracy in the continent.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });

If this order is allowed to sustain itself, I fear that we shall soon get to a state where what we would have as a system of governance in the continent would be worse that the most brutal of dictatorships. It would be a system in which our opinion in electing our leaders as a people will have been totally denied us yet we would have persons in civilian regalia-democratic rulers- as our leaders. When a people become opinion less, they are as good as dead. Zimbabwe and Kenya should be the last. We must stop the spirit of compromise now as it does not portend any good for us. We must insist that what should be done, must be done right. Elections should seize to be a process where the people legitimize their disenfranchisement but really a process for a people to decide –by popular participation-who governs them. Until elections become free and fair in the true sense of it, we can not boast of having Democracy in the continent and in that sense, we should not be part of the annual September 15th word democracy Day.

 

 

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of SaharaReporters

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });