THE political situation in the Ivory Coast is most interesting. There is one election but two governments with two of the major contesting parties claiming ‘victory’ at the polls. At the time of writing this column, three West African leaders will return to meet in early January with incumbent President Laurent Gbabo of the Ivory Coast who has refused to concede defeat in Presidential elections which was won by opposition leader Alassne Ouattra.

The regional body ECOWAS has threatened to use force if Mr. Gbagbo refuses to step down and had dispatched three African leaders to persuade him to relinquish power or else face up to the consequences of his actions.

The Presidents of Benin, Sierra Leone and Cape Verde had travelled to Ivory Coast as representatives but failed in their mission to persuade Gbagbo to step down. They then proceeded to meet with the Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, current Chairman of ECOWAS to brief him on their failed mission. Now, they agreed to make another shot at it at a meeting on January 3, 2011 the outcome of which will determine the next course of action.

Meanwhile, tension in the country is running high with a significant number of people mainly supporters of the opposition party fleeing to the neighbouring country of Liberia.

According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR some 15,000 people, mainly women and children had fled the country for Liberia with thousands more leaving almost daily.

This election, it was hoped, would have resulted in a new chapter in the country’s turbulent political history, but as it turned out it has resulted in a new state of political instability and social unrest.

Meanwhile, an alternate government had been set up by Mr. Alassne Ouattara who is operating out of a hotel located in the main city of Abidjan.

Access to the city is barred by security forces loyal to President Gbagbo who claimed that the voting was rigged in some areas of the country in favour of Mr. Ouattra. However, international observers who monitored the elections concluded that the elections were comfortably won by Mr. Ouattara.

The situation in the Ivory Coast brings back memories to our own situation during the 1968-1985 period when all elections held during that period were blatantly rigged in favour of the then ruling PNC.

The elections were so clumsily rigged that wads of ballot papers marked in favour of the PNC were found neatly stuffed in the ballot boxes with rubber bands attached.

Overseas and local observers were harassed and in some cases beaten by PNC thugs for daring to cover and report on voting irregularities. Like Gbagbo, the PNC refused to accept the verdict of the Guyanese people and used all the tricks and machinations available to deny democracy and freedom to the Guyanese people.

Unlike the 1960’s and the 1970’s when the United States and other western nations were prepared to turn a blind eye to fraudulent elections out of political and ideological considerations, the international landscape has changed markedly in favour of democracy and democratic rule.

It is common knowledge that the PNC was allowed to get away with rigged elections and undemocratic rule because it was perceived by the United States and other western powers as the ‘lesser of the evil.’

With the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the socialist world, ideological considerations became less important to the United States.

Ironically, it was the same United States that was instrumental in removing the PPP from power in the elections of 1964, that led the international agenda to restore democracy to the country through the Carter Centre which, literally, twisted Desmond Hoyte’s arm to agree to the counting of votes at the place of poll.

Hoyte, had earlier described the counting of votes at the place of poll as a ‘logistical nightmare’ but was forced to succumb to international pressure after it became clear to him that his Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) which was financed largely by the international donor community and financial institutions ran the risk of being derailed should he fail to abide by the norms of democratic rule.

Now, Mr. Gbagbo is faced with a similar situation. He is already being forewarned that the United Nations and other international bodies including the European Union and ECOWAS would not recognize his government as the legitimate government and those financial transactions would not be honoured by overseas banks.

Members of his ‘cabinet’ also would have their visas revoked should he not concede defeat at the polls. And if those were not enough, there are threats of military action to have him removed from power, a threat that Mr. Gbagbo knows only too well that he cannot afford to ignore.

The truth is that the international environment no longer favours dictators and those who strive on dictatorial rule and suppression of basic human rights including the right to elect a government by way of free and fair elections. Power resides in the people and it is the people through their vote that determines who should govern. The basis of rule must reside in the people through their vote.

PULL QUOTE:
The truth is that the international environment no longer favours dictators and those who strive on dictatorial rule and suppression of basic human rights including the right to elect a government by way of free and fair elections. Power resides in the people and it is the people through their vote that determines who should govern. The basis of rule must reside in the people through their vote.