Elections

Comment: democracy without bread is fragile

Between the messages about Terror, refugees, and Cuba, in Africa, Super Sunday is almost gone. The five very different elections show how fragile the democracy is, says Claus Stäcker.

Transparent multi-party democracies in Africa are still by no means a model of success. This has been shown by the elections in Benin, the Niger and the Congo, to Zanzibar, and the Cape Verde Islands on Sunday. The latter are one of the few democracy-Stars of the continent. The island state of Cape Verde ranks on all of the recognised democracy barometers is consistently in the Top 5. It is hardly surprising then, that in the former Portuguese colony, a Prime Minister voluntarily surrenders his office, even at the risk that his independence party (PAICV) loses Power.

The PAICV, with the 37-year-old Janira Hopffer Almada sent a relatively young candidate for the parliamentary elections in the race – and this is noteworthy on a continent that is still governed almost exclusively by men. But the youth credit not helped her. The
People chose the ruling party after 15 years. That is democracy. The conservative candidate Correia e Silva has won, because the voters apparently, the larger will be the economic confidence of competence. After all, he has promised to 45,000 new Jobs.

Hope Cape Verde and Benin

Also in the West African state of Benin President after two terms went out with bonuses Yaye harmless. Here, too, the choice will not be continued in the stitch to the succession of the candidate of his party, Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou, but the
Opposition candidate Patrice Talon, the cotton traders and the port Manager by the millions. The voters wanted a change, even if the low turnout suggests that Talon doesn’t cause any euphoria. But: democracy is recorded in a note of victory.

Otherwise
the election in the Republic of the Congo – President Denis Sassou Nguesso does not think even after 32 years of quitting. After the Referendum, which ruled that the Opposition as a constitutional coup, were lifted in both the Two-terms of office-principle, as well as the age limit of 70 years. Sassou Nguesso is 72 years old. On the day of the election he had “for security reasons”
Internet and mobile Park, the Public had no Chance to check the transparency of the election. Sassou Nguesso is nervous, because the political dinosaurs such as he must be afraid of the young Generation. Which is already in the majority and your future is quite different.

Hybrid systems instead of multi-party democracy

Also in the semi-Autonomous Zanzibar, the ruling party, CCM sticks. The Opposition and the media have been intimidated in the run-up to the elections and harassed, including the
DW correspondent Salma Said. After the largest opposition party, the CUF boycotted the election, the CC ruled on the mainland of Tanzania to Zanzibar. And with over 91 per cent. The population was intimidated by the massive military presence during the elections. However, the civil society observed the operations to be vigilant. The ominous two and a half days of continuous abduction of the DW correspondent sparked a country-wide wave of Solidarity. Tanzania’s shirtsleeves occurring and in the whole of Africa as a model of advanced Anti-corruption President John Magufuli has to pass a real test to his own, to Zanzibar, apparently, derailed a party to the CCM.

In the
Niger is the victory of incumbent President Mahamadou Issoufou is a matter of form – because the Opposition boycotted the runoff election. Challenger, Hama Amadou, has been brought out of the country, directly from the prison to the treatment of a reportedly serious illness to France. The fragile state, trapped between the Terror of Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram, had achieved in the last years, significant progress in the fight for democracy and freedom of expression. However, these depend, as before, by the Actions of a small Elite. Experts warn of the fragility of the Niger.

Fragile delicate flower of democracy is almost everywhere. A successful ballot is still no guarantee for a smooth Transformation to a multi-party democracy. Mixed forms of autocracy and the democratic processes in Africa, a long with a stock of political hybrids. And Stars of the democracy indices, such as Cape Verde and Benin, you have to convince, especially with social progress. Ethiopia’s foreign Minister Tedros Adhonom, the country still has a long way to go before said recently the two very correct sentences: bread without democracy is bitter taste. But democracy without bread is fragile.

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