The last month has seen a surge in “democratic” elections around the world. Headliners like the recent election of Dilma Rousseff in emerging Brazil, the massive midterm elections of the US, and the corrupt and violent polls in Myanmar have taken center stage, but voting in Tanzania, Cote d’Iviore, and Guinea has also taken place. Coverage of the later three elections has been relatively scarce in Western media, yet milestones achieved in each bear hope for a reversal of the erosion of freedom that the Freedom House Index has reported upon for the majority of the last decade and a few glimmers of hope for democracy in Africa.
Tanzania saw its first competitive election since the establishment of democracy in the country almost 50 years ago. The incumbent President Jakaya Kikwete won another five-year term in office despite experiencing a decline of almost 20% in votes since the 2005 election. This marks the first time that the nation’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party has faced serious opposition, and despite its continued dominance of parliament with around 70% of seats, it implies that the nation will move away from single-party politics and move towards a multiparty model in the future. More importantly, the election places increased pressure on Kikwete to combat the nation’s rampant corruption. This election marks another tentative step along the way of achieving true freedom in the formerly competitive authoritarian nation.
Elections in Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) took a much larger leap in the transition to freedom. With nearly 80% of the population turning out to cast their vote in the country’s first election since civil war broke out in 2002. Delayed since 2005, the success of the preliminary Presidential polls on October 31st provides a glimmer of hope for the once prosperous African nation. Peaceful yet indecisive, the prompt scheduling of a run-off election along the lines of the nation’s constitution shows that Cote d’Ivoire is committed to democracy. For a nation that was only last year rated as being Not Free by the FH, this presidential election between incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, challenger Alassane Ouattara, and former president Henri Konan Bedie appears to be fair and headed for a pacific end; a relief for the strife ridden nation.
Finally, elections in Guinea’s run-off for the Presidency went smoothly, despite a month of unrest between supporters of the two candidates, Cellou Diallo and Alpha Conde. Polling stations reported no instances of violence and the nation now awaits the announcement of the next head of state. Under military rule since a coup in 2008, the election marks the nation’s return to civilian rule. The site of violent repression and mass rape, the end of the militaristic regime will hopefully usher in a new epoch of peace for the region. The election had been delayed for months because of fears of voter fraud and the success of last weeks voting shows that inroads have been made in terms of achieving fairness in Guinea. While the winner has yet to be announced, this peaceful transition from authoritarianism back to democracy marks a new, optimistically freer, beginning for the Guinean people.
African democracy appears to be on the rise, a refreshing sign in light of the continued failures of governments in Somalia and Congo. The continent, while ravaged by poverty, disease, and insufficient growth may finally be moving towards a brighter future. While corruption remains a central issue across the continent, the perpetuation of fair elections will place increased accountability on the elected governments and hopefully begin to redirect the region. The strong turnouts in each nation, especially Cote d’Ivoire, demonstrate the desire of many Africans for a voice in the future of their nations. While time alone can tell if these late fall elections truly impact the directions of Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, and Guinea, moving them towards paths of greater prosperity, they provide a lot of hope. The erosion of freedom worldwide remains a problem, yet recent developments in Africa seem to mark a return to progress.
Photocredit: AP