Democracy and Development in Mali

From Military Dictatorship to Democracy: The Democratization Process in Mali

From Military Dictatorship to Democracy: The Democratization Process in Mali ANDREW F. CLARK Democratization in Africa This essay analyzes the successful, and largely peaceful, transition from military dictatorship to civilian democracy in Mali. Unlike most other nations, Mali held a national conference, wrote a constitution, and held elections after deposing a repressive military regime. Because of its openness and success, the democratization process in Mali-and in particular the use of a national conference--can serve as an indicator of what might happen in other areas of Africa experimenting with democracy. The rapidity of the transformation , however, does leave some questions unanswered.I The recent, still unfolding democratization process in much of Africa contrasts dramatically with the first decades of African independence in the 1960s and 1970s when the United States and the Soviet Union, joined by former colonial powers Britain, France, and Belgium, played active and often decisive roles in preserving the post-colonial status quo. Each side had its proteges in power and every effort was taken to insure their survival, even in the face of internal and external opposition. In many African countries during the early years of independence, the existing order meant unsavory, usually military, dictators or one-party states closely linked to the Western or Eastern blocs economically, militarily, and ideologically. West Africa suffered particularly from military dictatorships supported by the British and the French who sought to preserve their economic and military interests in the region. Although civilian government in Africa does not necessarily equate with political freedom, three countries in West Africa-Senegal, The Gambia, and Cote d'Ivoire (until recently)-have managed to retain civilian rule since independence . The remaining thirteen nations in the region have been led by 251 252 ANDREW F. CLARK military governments.2 The Gambia, ruled by Daouda Jawara after independence from Britain in 1965, and Cote d'Ivoire, headed by Felix HouphouetBoigny after independence from France in 1960, functioned as one-party states. Senegal, in theory, had a multiparty system since independence from France in 1960. But the government party, the Parti Socialiste, headed initially by Leopold Sedar Senghor and then by his hand-picked successor, Abdou Diouf, retains a commanding hold on the electoral and political processes. In recent elections, opposition parties have gained votes, yet the ruling party has been accused of irregular election practices and indirect suppression of its opponents. The end of the Cold War has had serious and perhaps unexpected global implications. Western governments and media focused on the remarkable events in Eastern Europe and Germany, ignoring the broader ramifications for the non-western world. The media largely ignored less dramatic but equally important transformations throughout Africa, following the general pattern of neglect or focusing selectively, erratically, and briefly on Africa.3 The transition to democracy in Africa continues to be long and complicated, demanding serious , sustained coverage and analysis. The process, when generally peaceful, does not produce sound bites or graphic, compelling images of starvation and massacre for television. The western media prefers instant product to unfolding process. Consequently, there has been little attention paid to democratization movements throughout Africa, and virtually no coverage of the rapid pace of change in several West African countries, the region of Africa that consistently receives the least amount of coverage in the United States. The British and French media pay closer attention to events in West Africa, although they too tend to focus on troubled spots. Because the industrialized world no longer considers most African countries strategically or politically important on a global or even continental scale, Africans have been able to pursue much-needed and long-delayed experiments in more open and responsible political systems without outside objections or interference. Opposition groups no longer face the combined forces of the existing ruling elites and their Cold War or post-colonial sponsors. Attempts at constitutional democratic reform have achieved varying degrees of success in West Africa. In some situations, violent uprisings sparked changes, whereas in others, violence erupted after the democratization process had already begun. Whatever the chronology or outcome, the volatile political situation in many West African countries has not changed with the end of the Cold War, and there is little expectation, either in Africa or abroad, that general , lasting stability is imminent. Nevertheless, signs do exist that renewed "winds of change" sweeping across the African continent in the 1990s can be FROM MILITARY DICTATORSHIP TO DEMOCRACY 253 labeled the...