Democratic Africa

Democratic is as democratic does. It is practised differently, obviously, in various countries of the world, bearing little practical resemblance to the type of liberal democracy we're confident in, in socially organized and economically and politically advanced countries of the world. The democratic ideal is one that is embraced as a sign of having arrived politically by countries of the world still given to dictatorships.

As can be seen, for example, in Africa. Where there is such violent disagreement in South Africa that its major political party which had delivered it from apartheid, is dissolving under the weight of tribal dissonances. The African National Congress is splitting itself into adversarial counterweights to the reality of separately revealed and re-valued agendas.

Zimbabwe has still not recovered from its late unlamented election, where the government of Robert Mugabe refused to give over to the slight majority win of Morgan Tsvangirai's winning party. The country is collapsing under the monumental weight of governing corruption and gross ineptitude, yet Robert Mugabe steadfastly refused to vacate the presidency.

Kenya recently underwent elections where the ruling party, characterized by its tribal affiliations, refused to recognize the slight majority win of the adversarial party representing another tribal affiliation, resentful that they hadn't been given the turn-about opportunity to govern. The government set its supporters on the countryside to teach his opponent and his tribe a lethal lesson not soon forgotten.

Now the opposition in Zaire cries foul over the election just taken place that was rigged to ensure the ruling party would be sworn back into office. Despite that the opposition had handily beaten the country's president by a hairs-breadth; 35,209 votes out of a total of roughly 1.8 million cast ballots. Violence was feared, but has yet to erupt. Meanwhile, the current president resumes his post, despite having lost the vote.

Sitting in state at his investiture, none other than Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. The president - loser of the democratic vote - Rupiah Banda, has pledged himself to remain "president of all Zambians". Appealing to the opposition: "for Zambians' sake, we will look forward, not back. The campaign is over, what is in the past must remain so. I offer my friendship to Michael Sata. It is not my intention to govern a divided nation."

Thus speaks hale and hearty democratic Africa.