Advertisement

The 50-50 predicament

Contrary to the received wisdom, Western-style democracy, much favoured in Africa these days, ballot measure of a leaders' popularity, is of little consequence. Moreover, the virulent type of "billionaire" democracy, currently in vogue across Africa, is no indication of power from the people.

The very success of democracy in Africa is a rather convoluted story. Many Africans who applaud the result of the ballot box are most concerned about how it is reached. Many African presidents who cannot garner the 50 per cent needed to be declared winner outright to preclude the possibility, or rather indignity, of a run-off vote, find themselves in second place. And, we all know that the rule of the game is winner takes all.

In Ghana's  December 2008 presidential race, the New Patriotic Party's Nana Akufo-Addo scooped 49.13 of the total vote cast, placing him first but that was not enough votes for the magical, or is it monstrous, 50 per cent outright win. In the run-off, not surprisingly, the late John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress received 50.23 per cent of votes cast, thereby beating Akufo-Addo resoundingly to the presidency.

So back to billionaires. According to FORBES' annual ranking of the world's richest people in 2013, there was, in spite of the global economic meltdown, a record 1,426 billionaires worldwide. Alas, only one per cent, or 20 African men — yes, no women — were billionaires. Mostly, these were South African, Egyptian, Moroccan and Nigerian — and yes, in that order based on nationality.

So, we cannot truly speak of "billionaire" democracy in Africa. In the world's poorest continent per capita, and least developed according to the United Nations Human Development Index, it appears that "millionaire" democracy is at work. It suffices to be a millionaire to become a political kingmaker.

Dismay at the way democracy works in Africa has become endemic. Technical problems of a most frustrating king prevent millions of Africans eager to cast their votes from casting their ballots on time.

In Ghana, the malfunctioning biometric scanner caused something of a commotion during the December 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections. With the result that the presidential race was considered too close to call, with NPP crying foul and scores of MPs contesting the results in courts — President Mahama won the December 2013 polls with 50.70 per cent of the total votes cast. The NPP's Akufo-Addo reluctantly lost.

Indeed, the latter came a close second with 47.74 per cent. All hell broke loose, and the monotonous travesty that ensued, perhaps even a charade claiming that the results were rigged, sucked up so much wasteful negative energy to no avail.

Can Africa afford to waste its precious resources on such mundane matters? The current brouhaha in Egypt erupted precisely because of such perfidious capriciousness. Ousted President Mohamed Morsi supposedly won 51.7 per cent of votes cast in a run-off against Ahmed Shafik, who with 48.3 per cent of the vote ended up as a political fugitive in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

Egypt was rife with rumours that the Americans forced Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood on the country. The contentious issue eventually cost Morsi the top job, and he was forced out by people's power, or a military coup, depending on your political convictions and ideological orientations.

Digital election trackers in Africa only confuse the political picture. The next test of African democracy will take place later this month with a showdown between President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, a graduate of Ghana's once venerable Kwame Nkrumah Ideological Institute in Winneba, and his White and Western-backed Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change.

Southern Africa is on tenterhooks. It is said that Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe National Union-Patriotic Front must preclude the possibility of a run-off vote with the Black land grab trump card. This week, I tackled bitterly contested presidential polls. Next week, I will focus instead on the pitfalls of parliamentary elections in Africa, with my sister Samia Nkrumah, Convention People's Party Chairperson, uppermost in my mind.


By Gamal Nkrumah
Daily Graphic/graphic.com.gh/Ghana

Connect With Us : 0242202447 | 0551484843 | 0266361755 | 059 199 7513 |