Constructing Democracy in Transitioning Societies of Africa: Constitutionalism and Deliberation in Mali (review)

Given the recent political transitions of the “Arab Spring,” analysis of democratic transitions in sub-Saharan Africa is extremely welcome. North and sub-Saharan Africa share geographic and historical links, so it is quite remarkable that the North African transitions are happening twenty years after the arrival of the “Third Wave” of democratization on the continent. Fortunately, there is a great deal to be learned from the experiences of these neighbors to the south, as Wing’s contribution so clearly exemplifies. With an emphasis on the process of transition and the importance of dialogue for democratic transition and governmental legitimacy, Wing offers a spirited testimonial in favor of inclusiveness in the process of transition that political leaders in Egypt, for example, would do well to heed.

Wing argues that “governmental legitimacy and constitutional stability are rooted in an open process of constitution- and policy-making” (14–15). Using Mali for the bulk of her case evidence, Wing also makes effective use of other West African examples to show the pitfalls of transition processes that Mali (and Benin) have managed to avoid (chapter 2). In the first chapter, Wing embraces the complexity of the concept of “constitutionalism,” which encompasses, inter alia, the ideas of a “just” constitution and the need for “constitutional literacy” on the part of the population so they may effectively engage in dialog with government about their rights and the degree to which they are respected. Political exclusion, in this analysis, is an ever-present threat to democracy.

One of the real strengths of the work is the detailed evidence from a Francophone state that it makes accessible to a broad, English-speaking audience generally unfamiliar with the dramatic political developments of the 1990s. Wing provides compelling evidence of the power of dialogue, participation, and inclusion in Mali, starting with their successful sovereign National Conference (chapter 3) and then with the creation of the annual “éspace d’interpellation démocratique,” or “question and answer assembly,” during which individuals or representatives of NGOs may openly question members of government about constitutionally protected rights (chapter 6). Without sugar-coating the ongoing problems of equality and governance in the country, the author also threads the example of women’s citizenship and participation throughout (and especially in chapter 5), showing that they have benefited from the inclusive nature of the ongoing constitutional dialogue. With additional analysis of recent elections and decentralization (chapter 4), the Touareg question (chapter 7), and the judicial system, Wing effectively supports her claim that “Malians have forged their own unique path toward governmental accountability and the rule of law” (173). Some of the events described, while fascinating in their own right, could benefit from a discussion of the temporal effects: if dialogue was promoted in the mid- to late-1990s, has the popular perception of legitimacy of the constitution improved between then and now?

Wing does not address the conceptual boundaries of the idea of constitutionalism. While effectively linking all of the issues above to her central premise, the theoretical framework that led to an examination of these particular aspects of democracy is not fully explained. Will greater protection of human rights and increased inclusiveness always and forever lead to greater legitimacy in the constitution? The current efforts of some African governments to circumscribe gay rights, with a great deal of popular support from their constituents, provide interesting counterexamples. And finally, what prompts elites to make the choice to invite popular participation in constitution- and policy-making from the start? Well-written and conceptually clear enough even for upper-division undergraduate reading, this book will certainly provoke discussion, especially about the nature of constitutionalism and the prospects for democratic consolidation across the continent.