U.S. election, a lesson for African leaders, says Akinyemi
Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, former External Affairs Minister reviews the last America presidential election with FRANCIS OBINOR and ABIODUN FANORO. He also notes the lessons and expectations of the election for African leaders. Excerpts.
ON America's democracy and electoral process.
The American democratic process is a unique one. It is a leveller for everyone. It shows the equality of man in a society during a campaign process. The president becomes an ordinary person who is not allowed to use the presidential power to intimidate his opponents. He behaves like any ordinary person in the society. His opponents can say anything about him at least for that moment and he can not do anything about it.
The aura called presidency is removed while the ordinary voter becomes the most powerful. It is the revealing nature of democracy compared to what we have here. In Nigeria we have had such debates, but the situations have been different.
The U.S. electoral process has made democracy quite interesting. That is something we in Nigeria ought to draw attention to.
Irrespective of the candidates, Americans displayed a transparent and hitch free election and everything was done in full glare of the process. This is not so in Nigeria and many African countries. The process is always fraught with problems and the press shut out of the whole process. The consumers, that is, the ordinary Nigerians or Africans are denied the legitimate rights to participate in the process.
Hedge over Kerry.
I think the exit polls showed that Bush was successful in using the security factor to win more votes than Kerry. Since September 11, 2001, the question on the mind of every American has been security. The Osama bin Laden's factor played into the insecurity feeling even though I am not sure it was helpful.
On the lessons for African leaders?
For African leaders, it is quite important that they understand how this works. But for those who want to bastardise the democratic process, they will not see anything good about it. On the contrary, they will say America is a developed country but they are passing through a learning process. What never ceases to amaze me is the bravado of the African and Nigerian rulers when they want to cheat you. I can remember some questions thrown to a Nigerian politician seeking votes from the people during the election by foreign journalists why some certain things occurred on the contrary. The response was that of bravado and not of remorse. To me we are not going to learn any lesson from the American process. It is not that Africans are ignorant of what to do but they just don't want it to work. We don't need to be taught on how to exercise the rights to vote. It is the charlatans - the politicians who interfere and muddle up the process.
The countries in Africa that have attained that mark are Botswana with its recent free fair and transparent elections, South Africa, Malawi, Ghana and Republic of Benin.
Advice to Nigerian leaders
Our political leaders should try to move away from the "Kabiyesi syndrome" - that is, divine right to be rulers. They believe that they have right to leadership while the people or the voters do not really count.
African leaders, especially Nigerians must learn when to retire from the scene. The fact that you were once a ruler doesn't mean that you have to be there till you die. You can retain your honour and status as elder-statesman and not remain there till death comes. Political leaders are not kings. They should always remember that they were voted in by some people for a period of time.
Americans run for election and when they lose, they fade out, why did Albert Gore decide not to run again? We have so many examples of people like that. Nobody has come up to act as somebody's God father or whatever, instead they have all bowed out without any problem . African leaders demean themselves. They prefer to stay in power until death do them part. A good example of an African leader who knows the meaning of honour is Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa. If he had wanted to be president for life considering all that he went through, he would have got it, but he chose the path of honour and did not do so. Kenneth Kaunda, former Zambian president finally came back to his senses even though he refused initially.
On President Olusegun Obasanjo's alleged move to have a third term of office.
At the end of the day, the act will always speak for itself.
On the way forward for America after a seemingly split choice of candidates threatening the country's unity.
The concept of democracy there hinges on the majority have their say while minority their way. There is however, a middle ground for all divergent thoughts or opinions. The polarisation is becoming so wide and unbridgeable. I am starting to worry that America is becoming fossilised into two antagonistic camps with no possibility of having a bridge to narrow the gulf. The passion and crudity which crept into this particular election have been building up for years from President Ronald Reagan's time.
I am worried that the whole concept of democracy may be discredited. Democracy like sport presupposes that while we are political opponents, we are not political enemies. Democracy presupposes that while I am convinced that I am right and prefer my view to predominate, it also presupposes that I grant the probability that you may have a point that I should consider. But when elections become a war between enemies, where one side demonises the other side, then I am afraid that you may not be talking about a United States, but may be moving towards a dis-United States. If about 49 per cent of the population have got rejection of whom the president is, it is not good for the republic and democracy.
In a democracy, the end never justifies the means. It is in all kinds of isms that you do find negative things . The danger is that some people will say you are not our president. Democracy presupposes gracious winners and losers. But in the last two elections in the US, I have not seen both. This is dangerous.
Bush in the last and next four years.
In the past four years, domestically, the rich had become richer and the poor, poorer. There has been an increased number of Americans who now feel that the system is no longer providing for them again. Internationally, it has produced a leader that is a bully and a confused leadership. The objective to bring democracy to Iraq, fight terrorism and all the undesirable is good, but the means, the process that ended up demonising the United Nations and adopting a "phase diplomacy" is not good for the U.S. and the world. There were some voices like Colin Powell, but they were in the minority. Bush's re-election has thus confirmed that he is right all the time and one does not change a winning formula.
The next four years will witness a continuation of a conflict between those who believe in multilateralism and those who believe in unilateralism. Attack on the concept of globalism would continue thereby making the job of using the UN as a forum for actualisation of global dreams very difficult.
Africa was never in the front burner of America's foreign policy despite his visit to Africa. The substance of Africa would have remained the same. It was under President Bill Clinton that the doctrine of minimal American military involvement was proclaimed.
The Gulf of Guinea and the Niger Delta conflict.
Oil will continue to be a major defining factor as we will see a continuation of U.S. to establish its military presence in the Gulf of Guinea. We should expect more America's determination at securing safe access to the oil in the area using several options at its disposal to actualise the aim.
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