Global Development: Views from the Center
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November 20, 2006
Mali's President Touré Talks Democracy and Development at CGD
Posted by Dennis de Tray at 04:36 PM
Mali President Amadou Touré, in town to ink a $461 million Millennium Challenge Account grant for his country, stopped by CGD last Monday for lunch with CGD staff, members of the diplomatic community, and supporters of Touré’s democracy efforts. Mali is an especially interesting case for those promoting democracy as an essential basis for sustainable development. Touré came to power in a coup against a military leader who himself came to power through a coup. But following his assumption of power, Touré took a very different path than most military leaders take, stepping aside for a civilian government two years after he took power. It was only after two terms of presidential rule by Alpha Oumar Konaré that Touré ran and won election for presidency.
Touré opened our lunch time conversation with a short history lesson on Mali, then asked and tried to answer the central question about Mali’s democracy process: why has Mali been successful in establishing democratic rule while most other African countries have struggled and many have failed on this front? Touré’s main argument was both instructive and worrying for much of the rest of Africa. Mali’s success, according to Touré, can be found in long-ago historical forces that, well before the first election, shaped a Malian nation that was more naturally cohesive and less tribally divided than many African countries.
Mali’s experience under Touré demonstrates that African countries can aspire to democracy even if the starting point is singularly undemocratic. But it also suggests a lesson that is often lost on promoters of democracy: history matters. In Mali’s case, history would appear to have worked in its favor as it launched a modern democratic state but the history of many newly democratic states is not nearly so encouraging.
CGD visiting fellow Ethan Kapstein is just finishing up a book that tries to sort out what matters when it comes to sustaining democracies. Kapstein’s work suggests a couple of important lessons for President Touré and his team going forward, some positive and some negative. One of the findings that works against success in Mali is that richer developing countries do better in sustaining democratic reforms than do poorer countries, and Mali is well below the income threshold for likely success. On the positive side, legitimacy of leadership appears, not surprisingly, to be a key factor in successful democratic transitions, as do policy reforms and economic development that bring widespread benefits to a country’s people. From Kapstein’s work I would say that President Touré is off to a good start, but has his work cut out for him. A key test will be whether or not he and his government can use MCA funds to the benefit of a wide segment of Mali’s population. If yes, this beacon of democracy in Africa may well continue to shine.
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Comments
While I agree with Dennis de Tray's general comments (fragility of the transition and great potential of the MCA funds), two things worry me a lot about the current evolution of Mali's democracy. First, President ATT's no-party regime of national unity is largely built upon the fragile foundation of his personality and charisma rather than a coherent program designed to strengthen democratic institutions such as political parties and the national assembly. Second, Mali's MCA proposal is not the result of a broadly inclusive process. Their first submission was rejected in part because there was insufficient civil society participation in determining priorities, and those priorities did not change much after the late and superficial inclusion of civil society representatives in the process of the finalization of the revised Mali proposal. In order for Mali's fragile democracy to be successfully consolidated, more attention must be paid to strengthening democratic institutions, expressing a clear development vision, and soliciting real grassroots input into national development priorities.
Posted by: John Uniack Davis at November 22, 2006 06:45 AM
From the face of it, Mali's Toure and Nigeria's Obasanjo are the outstanding examples of military coup leaders who came to power but paved way for civilian rule. The rest of the African leaders[almost two-thirds of them]coming to power by the barrel have failed this test. The struggle has been to create 'demi-god' leaders who assume that democracy and continuity can only prevail in their armpits. But also to measure the level of democratic rule based on a coup leader who gives power to civilian rule is absruct. Wait when they are subjected to a vibrant critical press, democratic demonstrations, student strikes and workers' sit downs and see the ammount of force that will be used on the unarmed civilians. The tenets of democratic rule-free participation, speech, freedom of the press, equality before the law, accountability,freedom from torture and detention without trial, the list is endless,in many African states are just spoken about and written in papers but the practice is far from it. For Mali to set an example for democratic rule in Africa, other concentrates have to be analysed. Am glad that Toure himself knows very well that tribal conflicts and attachments are so minimal in Mali unlike many African states where even ministerial appointments have to cater for tribal divergences. Any observer who wants to watch democratic rule in Africa, based on Mali needs to focus on the similiarities and variances in the media, security institutions and respect for constitutions across Africa. Mali can set a good example, any differences in state structures notwithstanding, but are other states prepared to emulate Mali's example?. Will President Toure observe the constitutional provisions when it seems to work in his disfavour?. How will he react when subjected to multi-party pressures of free association, will he call out military personels to silence the peaceful demonstrating publics?. Lets watch on.
Posted by: Paul Mayende at November 22, 2006 09:21 AM