By Neba-Fuh
There is no clear-cut difference between African dictators and Military
rulers. All of them either seized power conventionally or
unconventionally; some before they stepped into power, others, during
their endless reign.
When a Supreme Court Judge of a nation charged with proclaiming presidential election results of a nation openly declared that 'his hands are tied'; then went on and proclaimed the loser of that election 'victor'; that wasn't a coup?
When incumbent dictators 'doctored' election results weeks after polling stopped and later emerged with figures contrary to the people's wish; that's not a coup, right?
When junior dictators in the name of District officers, Divisional officers, Senior divisional officers,(sous-prefet and prefet as the French call them), sit in their offices and execute orders from their bosses instructing them to alter electoral lists, barring citizens from a certain region or of the opposition to vote, that's not a coup, right?
When a Prime Minister of a Republic who is suppose to be well schooled on the constitution of the nation he's representing, publicly declared that citizens resident in his region of origin, but who are not originally of that region( commonly tagged 'settlers') were not welcome to vote there; and requesting them to travel back to their regions of origin and vote there; that's not a coup plot?
When a dictator of country manipulatively reconstructed his nation's constitution with the help of sycophants who can't stop sitting on their brains, allowing the dictator to rule ad infinitum; that's not an endless coup, right?
When a dictator of a country and his cohorts plunder the people's treasury incessantly and live flamboyant life styles while his people drown in an abyss of abject poverty; That's not a coup, right?
When Western powers support African dictatorships for selfish economic reasons, even though they are aware of the people's sufferings; that's not a coup, right?
Except for few emerging African democracies like Botswana, Tanzania, Liberia and a few others, most African countries have not and will not be liberated by the so called African version of Western democracy.
The notion of dictators
'grooming' their successors is a blatant error even African
intellectuals are giving in to. How can we allow a thief to 'groom'
'somebody' to govern after his death? Which principles will he use
to 'groom' him? Surely, we are imagining that the thief will groom
his successor by telling him ' Oh boy, you know I made all these
billions by stealing from the people's treasury, and you know I stayed
in office this long because I rigged elections. But, boy when you
become President, don't steal, don't rig elections'- Good 'grooming,
eh?.' If the maxim' like father like son' makes some sense, then African
people should be careful by not condoning the notion that African
dictators have to 'groom' their successors.
Some of these dictators have even interpreted that to mean 'willing' power to their sons, thereby creating quasi monarchies.
In a functioning democracy, be it European or African styled, the people through their parties 'groom' leader. The parties have to lay down criteria for choosing a qualified person who can better manage their programs if elected. If that is done the only logical next step is to introduce your program and the person to the people through elections. If that person is elected in a free and fair election, then that person becomes a President of a nation.
In countries where independent candidates are accepted the procedure is the same. Introduce yourself and your program to the people and let them decide by voting.
The notion of an expectant successor 'groomed' by a dictator is redundant.
It
will take Africa a century behind and of course, military regimes will
emerge again, not because they are unavoidable, but because the present
dictators are constantly paving the way for them.
Guinea- Conakry is a recent example. A country blessed with natural resources and its people caged by a dictator for over 24 years. Drowning in poverty for decades, the people are now holding tight to a 'snake' hoping that it can take them afloat.- A junior officer of the Military just seized power there after the death of the country's long time dictator- a move apparently welcomed by the populace.
Cameroun,
Gabon, Congo,Egypt, Libya and many other African countries will one day
have their 'liberators'. They may come from barracks, who knows???
It will be called a 'coup';
but the question
all of us should ponder on is:
In
a country where all democratic methods to change a seasoned dictator
have been barred or made impossible, is a military coup an act of
patriotism or subversion?
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Posted by: Tatum | December 15, 2009 at 04:05 AM