Museveni was right: Africa is not ready for democracy
I admire many of the things Museveni has done in reviving and stabilizing Uganda. Now, of course, the west is pressuring him to step down and asking him to give democracy a chance, but Museveni’s arguments against imposing fast paced democracy in Africa are quiet right.
Museveni has argued that Africa is still too poor and it’s people, many of whom are illiterate and desperate, may not be ready for electoral democracy. He argues, that when you impose democracy on countries whose populations are so desperate, they will usually vote purely on ethnic lines and ignore the core issues. When this happens, the side that loses, will resort to violence and that too, will be based on ethnic delineations. It is a very dangerous mix. He has used this argument to justify his staying in power and I think he may be right. Can you imagine Uganda, a country with a history of civil war, enduring the violent electoral clashes that Kenya has endured since 1992? it would be a disaster for that country.
Of course, Museveni was able to remain in power, with support from the west, because he stabilized that lawless country. However, in the case of Kenya, where we were stuck with Moi, democracy was viewed as the cure all (Moi tried to use Museveni’s argument, but it didn’t work for him because he had destabilized the country). And now, what has happened to Kenya? this tortured journey for democracy has heightened the ethnic divisions and this journey began in 1992 when we adopted western democracy {wholesale}without trying to define it in a way that fit our cultural fabric. Indian democracy has survived because they re-defined it to fit in with their cultural fabric (although they too, have had tumultuos years of religious violence during this path of re-definition).
And now, where does this leave us? Kibaki cannot resign in the midst of this violence and chaos; it’s not even an option. He must continue to rule, like Museveni, through the sheer force of will and he must restore order in that country before anything else can happen. And it is a lesson to all African countries, not to adopt western systems, wholesale, without examining them more closely to see whether or not, they will work within their own cultural fabric. And what is the other lesson for Africa? that you can never really have stability when more than 50% of your population is living in absolute poverty. They may be angry that Raila was robbed, but they are more angry about their own lives, that are filled with hopelessness and despair; and there’s only so much one can take before they explode under the weight of their problems.
However, the other lesson is that, democracy, as taught to us by the west, is not the cure to all of our problems. The United Arab Emirates is not democractic, but you will not see it’s people cutting each other up. Why? They are not living in absolute poverty. Singapore, is not fully democratic, but you will not see it’s people cutting each other up with machete’s. Why? because it too, is a relatively wealthy country. If Raila Odinga, spends the next 5 years, blocking Kenya’s economic development, the underlying issue of absolute poverty will come back to haunt him as well.
All these leaders should read Lee Kwan Yew’s autobiography From Third World to First . He knew at the outset, what he had to do to create an island of stability, but it took him 30 years. Yew, is the former prime minister of Singapore and the west, could not lecture him about democracy because he delivered what the country needed. Moi failed; Kibaki was succeeding and now he MUST succeed, or else, this violence will prop up again when he is long gone.
What a load of tosh. Is Museveni delivering for Uganda? Let’s see where Museveni’s one party state takes Uganda.
Dayo:
Are you Ugandan? I’d be curious to find out why they are tiring of him? are the alternatives better?
Hasn’t Museveni delivered, even saved Uganda from it’s history of civil war and violence?
this article is senseless because the main objective of democracy is for people to determine the best deal offered to them am sure my grandmother can make this choice without degrees.Africa need democracy to eject old school tribal and corrupt politicians.rumours has it mughiki is now beheading people proped by the police
thomas arunga
united kingdom
Thomas:
Did you read the article? Museveni has essentially argued that what democracy in Africa brings is the same tribal politicians that you criticize. Why? because the voting is done largely on tribal lines. It really doesn’t eject anyone, it just injects a new tribal chief.
The problem in Kenya ‘07 was corruption, not democracy.
The elections were free and fair, but someone rigged the simple act of counting our votes. those are the facts.
Museveni is enjoying state house too much. Raila, Kibaki, Ruto and kalonzo are entitles to get 99% of their homeland vote, but so what?
Banks:
Even if you believe that the election was rigged, the violence in the RV, which was pre-planned has now rendered that point moot.
Had there not been any outbreak of violence, I would have been for a total recount and even a fresh election, but after I saw the violence, I said these are crazy people and Kibaki should not resign. However, after I began to realize that the violence in the RV was pre-planned (& I will have a post on that in the coming days), I began to realize why Kibaki CANNOT resign.
Thomas:
Kibaki is not going to resign and actually, you should begin your commentary of the situation with this foregone conclusion.
wow! what a legacy for baba Jimmy…The world is not blind.
http://www.economist.com/opini.....d=10430289
What a lot of rubbish!
Most African “rulers” are generally thieves & despots… Your blog is not about being PC… so you know what I say is true…
If you are looking for a Lee Kuan yew… it a’int Museveni… the closest I can come to is Kagame.
kibz is no LKY. Not even close!
coldtusker:
Where have you been?
You need to write a piece on how all this will affect the economy, especially the stock market.
It’s funny you raised Kagame’s name because as I was writing this piece, I thought about Kagame. How long has he been in power? 10 years? guess what? because of how far back Rwanda was in terms of it’s development, he’s going to need another 10 years to sort things out (and don’t be surprised if he comes under pressure to leave just like Museveni). It’s increasingly beginning to look like some level of development is needed before democracy has a realistic chance to thrive in a multi-ethnic or multi-religious country.
I never compared Kibaki to LKW – but at I do give Kibaki credit for reviving the economy and yes, none of these men are angels (including Raila).
Why don’t you pay a visit to the 2 million Acholis in concentration camps in northern Uganda..women, children..what crimes have they commited? The World Health Organization and the Uganda Minsitry of Health conducted a survey in 2005 and concluded that there were 1,000 excess deaths per week in the camps from hunger,thirst, diseases and attacks by soldiers supposedly protecting the civilians from Kony rebels (a Museveni creation by the way–consider this, his army was able to overrun Habyarimana in Rwana and take over the country for his former friend Kagame….run over Mobuttu’s Zaire and take it over for Laurent Kabila…and almost took it away from Joseph Kabila until Zimbabwe’s airforce and Angola’s tanks routed his army….such a powerful Museveni army you really believe could not have defeated Kony years ago it it wanted? You demonstrate latent intelligence so give this some thought. Isn’t it more convincing that Musveni maintains Kony as a bogeyman to continue getting Western financial and military largese?) In any case, at a rate of 1,000 deaths per week, that’s 52,000 per year….that’s 520,000 in the last 10 years and since the camps have existed for 20 years, that’a more than 1 million deaths…silent slow-motion genocide…Even Kony is envious of such kill-rates….Stability eh? Let’s pray than another African country does not suffer a similar fate at the hands of a Western backed genocidal killer…
A simply google search will give you a copy of the International Court of Justice’s 2005 ruling on Uganda’s genocide in DR Congo…But that’s enough from me. Do your own research ,,,,
I agree, we just aren’t ready
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