Democracy, our curse

By Kofi Akordor
But for the Republic of South Africa, the meeting of the Group of 20, which comprises 19 developed and emerging economies and the European Union, which took place in Seoul, the South Korean capital, would have been without the presence of Africa, the continent with perhaps the largest concentration of natural resources.
South Africa certainly is not the most endowed African country. Its advancement could, therefore, be attributed to other factors, the most obvious being the presence of a sizeable white population which, for a very long time, controlled its political and economic administration. Even after the end of apartheid or White minority rule, South Africa’s economy is by and large under White control, thereby giving it the necessary leverage it commands on the international market.
We were all witnesses to the successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup by South Africa, to the amazement of the sceptics and the pride of the continent. However, we will be the first to admit, difficult it may be, though, that but for that White minority element, perhaps things would have been different.
For a very long time we have blamed the problems of Africa, especially its underdevelopment, variously on slavery, colonialism and over-exploitation of its natural resources by foreign powers. We have not failed to mention the new world economic order and the unfair trade between the industrialised countries and the less-developed countries mostly in Africa, Asia and Latin America as a source of our economic and development problems.
Another important factor which was considered a major contributor to the continent's impoverishment was political dictatorship which dominated the continent during the immediate post-independent era until the end of the Cold War.
Dictators are answerable to no one and can easily be manipulated in their efforts to gain recognition. Therefore, during the Cold War era, the so-called democratic world was not interested in the culture of democratic governance flourishing on the continent. In fact, the Western powers were ready to sponsor and they really sponsored and propped up dictators in the name of fighting the spread of communism, even though in most cases they allowed the free plunder of their countries' natural resources.
The end of the Cold War gave us an indication that the time has come to remove the last obstacle to development — dictatorship — from the continent. That was how Ghana and many other countries on the continent embarked on another mission to cultivate the democratic culture which entails multi-partysm and adherence to the rule of law.
We in Ghana set off with the promulgation of the 1992 Constitution and the conduct of the first multi-party elections after years of military dictatorship which scuttled previous attempts at multi-party democracy.
We are all happy with the political freedom that constitutional rule brings to the people. Apart from the individual freedoms every citizen enjoys and the right to freedom of expression, there is also a check on the arbitrary use of state power. Multi-party democracy also envisages the involvement of more and more people in the governance process.
Even though the 1992 Constitution does not demarcate clear boundaries between the Executive and the Legislature, and even though the Judiciary is subordinated in a way to the Executive by way of the appointment of the Chief Justice, there is still room for these arms of government to operate as independently as possible to keep the machinery of state functioning, to the advantage of all.
After five elections and alternating between two parties — the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) — we can say with pride and some conviction that we are gradually mastering the art of democratic governance and, therefore, are on the path of national development.
As we look back, can we say with certainty that apart from individual liberties and the right to express ourselves on national issues, democracy has been able to build bridges of national cohesion and brought about consensus on national affairs that can move this country forward?
What about those ethnic and tribal sentiments that are creeping back into our politics? What about factionalism which is threatening to tear the same political parties apart? Can we explain why people have become so desperate for political power that they could go to any length to influence the voting process?
After the 2000 elections, we were joined by the international community to celebrate our success, having been able to switch from one political party to another in an election. We forgot all the tension that characterised the electoral process.
In 2008, we moved closer to the brink. In fact, one false step could have sent us tumbling down the abyss. We seem not to have learnt any lessons. Today, the conflicts and disagreements are not just about one party against another but within the same parties.
It may not sound logical, but if we compare what happened in 2000 to what happened in 2008, and if we consider the polluted atmosphere prevailing today, we can easily predict that 2012 is not going to be better than 2008. And that could be very dangerous to our survival as a nation.
We have survived vicious dictatorships in the past. We have squandered revenue from the sale of our natural resources in the past. Today, we are being given another chance. We have in place what we ourselves consider our own democratic government. We have another opportunity to tap into one of our natural resources — oil and gas. Are we not ready to be part of the Group of 21 when the next roll is called?
We have come a long way from the days of slavery and colonialism. We have effectively pushed dictatorship away from our political landscape. What is going to be our next excuse for failure? Disunity? Intolerance? Ethnocentrism? Factionalism? Greed or what? Is democratic freedom becoming too much for us to bear?
It seems we have savoured and overstretched our individual freedoms, especially the right to freedom of expression to such an extent that we have effectively ignored the national interest.
For some of us, we have made very little out of our much-touted democracy and political stability. We should not have been where we are today. Our situation will become more precarious if we allow complacency, intrigues and factionalism to set in.
Cote d'Ivoire, our western neighbour, is emerging out of seven years of political instability. We all know that that country can be a formidable force if it builds bridges and puts its past behind it.
The way we are going about things, we may not be able to hold on to our cherished dream of stability and unity for long. Should the worse happen, let it not be said that we fought for and won democracy and lost our national life.
fokofi@yahoo.co.uk
kofiakordor.blogspot.com