The Threat to Africa’s Fledgling Democracy

The yearning for democracy is not enough. Citizens must set high standards for elections – ensuring secret ballots, secure polling places and fair rules – Kofi Annan argues in an opinion essay for the Financial Times. Candidates, too, must accept voters’ decisions. That didn’t happen in Côte d'Ivoire, where Alassane Ouattara was declared winner but President Laurent Gbagbo refused to relinquish his post. Such defiance, if successful, could instigate power grabs by other failed leaders, and the conflict could ignite ethnic divisions that spill over borders. Annan recommends that the African Union and other multinational institutions quickly endorse the results of democratic elections or risk long-term instability. “[T]he crisis in Ivory Coast must also spur global efforts to uphold the integrity of elections wherever they are held,” concludes Annan, urging stiffer penalties for election corruption. “The risk of conflict increases while corruption, intimidation and fraud go unchecked, rotting the entire political system slowly from within.” – YaleGlobal