The military takeover, February 18, of neighboring Republic of Niger at a time when coup d’états were thought to be no longer fashionable, is, indeed, West Africa’s latest democracy deficit and must be condemned in all its ramifications.
Following a trend that has become depressingly familiar in West Africa over the past 18 months, army officers seized power in the uranium ore-rich country and removed President Mamadou Tandja from office.
There is no doubt that the ugly development was enabled by the political crisis that began last year when Tandja, through a referendum, extended his tenure in office indefinitely, beyond its December 2009 limit.
In fact, many people saw the coup coming because President Tandja had done everything to subvert the will of his people. And that explains why some have said that he got exactly what he deserved as it is popularly said that whoever makes peaceful change impossible, makes violent change inevitable.
Towards the expiration of his tenure, Tandja manipulated the legislature to amend the Constitution to accommodate a third term for him. He cracked down viciously on all opposition in the country and dissolved the parliament when he was not having his way with its members.
Indeed, he was operating as a maximum ruler. All entreaties by sub-regional groups, especially the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that sent several delegations to him, fell on deaf ears, until that fateful day when soldiers, led by Maj Salou Djibo, shot into the Presidential Palace and took Tandja and members of his cabinet captive, dissolved all democratic institutions and suspended the Constitution.
Though, the newly installed junta, which calls itself the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy, has promised to return the country to democracy, a military occupation of Niger Republic should not be the case at this point in the history of that country.
Sadly, the situation in Niger is a sobering reminder of the precarious state of democracy in a region all-too-familiar with the replacement of civilian presidents by military regimes.
For instance, the president and head of the army in Guinea-Bissau, was assassinated about a year ago, and the country is barely back on track towards civilian leadership with a transitional government comprised of both political and military figures.
Mauritania recently had a taste of this bitter pill and has struggled to regain its legitimacy after two coups in three years executed by the same military officers.
Now, if you should add the ongoing leadership crisis in Nigeria, the rising tension in Ivory Coast ahead of elections now five times postponed, and the slow and unsteady progress towards post-conflict reconciliation in Sierra Leone and Liberia, the picture is clearly that of a sub region acutely deficient in good governance and strong democratic institutions.
The Nigerien coup, the third in 18 months in West Africa alone, cannot be of any good to the people of the landlocked nation, most of who live on less than $700 a year.
Niger’s GDP growth rate is said to be just over three per cent per year with its population growth rate placed at about three and a half per cent per year.
The country remains handicapped by its landlocked position, desert terrain, poor education, poverty of its people, lack of infrastructure, poor health care, and environmental degradation.
In the 50 years since its independence, there have been three coups d’état, and the army has governed in place of elected leaders for 20 of those 50 years, with practically nothing to show to the nation of about 15 million people for their interventions.
Therefore, not many are taking seriously, the senior Nigerien officers, who, following serious condemnation of their act, protested that the army has no interest in politics.
Everything possible must, thus, be done by both the African Union (AU) and ECOWAS to make the Presidential Palace in Niamey uncomfortable for the coup plotters.
We totally condemn the takeover of power and support the immediate conduct of free and fair elections and handover to a democratically elected civilian government.
While we support all efforts being made in this direction, we must quickly note that the development in Niger should serve a note of warning to all leaders in the sub-region and, indeed, the continent, to desist from all acts of sit-tightism as they will only be creating an environment conducive for anarchy.
Military rule is unconstitutional and not fashionable anywhere in the world. And although the people of Niger may have celebrated the latest development as some of them were said to have hit the streets in wild jubilation on getting the news, it is instructive to note that what was being demonstrated on the streets of Niamey, the Nigerien capital, was basically the removal of Tandja. That should not mean endorsement for another un-democratic regime.
Tandja must be held responsible for this affront on democracy, and we recommend that he be tried for crimes against humanity for atrocities committed while trying to suppress the opposition, as such action will serve as deterrent to other leaders with similar plans.
While we urge the people of Niger to continue to defend democracy, regional bodies must put in place stronger measures to combat such unconstitutional change of governments.
Source: www.champion.com.ng
