‘Today’s Democracies’ as Opposed to ‘Democratic Idealism’
I HAVE just returned home after a comparatively long stay overseas attending three major conferences, writes Sir James R Mancham KBE, Founding President of the Republic of Seychelles:
(i) The Ocean Exchange in Savannah, Georgia, USA, where I was one of ten judges to choose the winner to ten projects that have been selected as solutions to certain maritime and/or maritime-related problems. During my stay in the USA, I realised to what extent bi-partisan hatred had penetrated US national politics.
(ii) Following this I attended the annual general meeting of the European Centre for Peace and Development (ECPD) which was held in Belgrade, Serbia. At that time, I was specially awarded by the ECPD University for Peace of the United Nations (UN) a special testimonial in recognition of what was described as my “exceptional and dedicated contribution to peace, reconciliation, religious tolerance, racial harmony and human rights in the Balkans and around the world”. There in Serbia, the whole talk was about the immigrants crisis which was shaking the democratic fabric of old Europe.
(iii) From Belgrade all the way to Madrid where I attended the annual general meeting of the prestigious Le Club de Madrid and participated in the high-level dialogue on the question of violent extremism which has been shocking the world over recent months.
Over the last few years, Le Club de Madrid has been very busy examining the quality of democracy in the world today with a view of coming forward with ‘A democracy which can deliver’. During my absence from Seychelles, there has been many editorial, comments and opinion pieces in our local media concerning ‘democracy in Seychelles’ against the background of the Presidential Election that has been fixed for the 3rd, 4th and 5th of December, 2015. I believe, that at this juncture of our history, it is important for us to evaluate our democratic expectations and to ask ourselves whether the country has indeed had time to cultivate and acquire a true and serious democratic culture.
Seychelles Founding
Historically, when Seychelles was discovered, there were no people living on our islands except animals like crocodiles and tortoises. The crocodiles are now extinct and one wonders whether the tortoises have any interest in constitutional advancement.
The first human being who settled in the Seychelles were French settlers who subsequently brought in slaves from Africa to help cultivate their plantations. As expected, governance of the country at that time was in the hands of those who owned the properties and were ready to serve within the French administration which afterwards was replaced by a British administration following the Treaty of Paris which had recognised us as a British colony. It took some time after the slaves had been declared ‘free people’ that the first attempt to bring forward a level of democracy came into being. At that time, a Legislative Assembly was created by the British but those entitled to vote were only people owning land, who had reached a certain income level. ‘One man, one woman, one vote democracy’ only came into being with the birth of two popular political parties – Seychelles People’s United Party (SPUP) and Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP) in the 60s. Perhaps this constituted the arrival of ‘democracy’ in Seychelles.
Death of Democratic Idealism
Sadly, this democracy whatever its standard or quality, was given a deathblow by the coup d’état of 5th June, 1977, which saw the introduction of One-Party Government under absolute dictatorial leadership. Therefore, until my return to Seychelles in April 1992, a new generation of voters has grown up totally outside a culture of democratic governance. It was therefore not surprising that a majority of those who had remained in Seychelles after the coup d’état, voted the dictator back to power to the surprise and shock of all those supporting ‘democratic values’. Indeed, a great many of the Seychellois who aspired towards ‘democratic idealism’ after the coup, sought political refugee status in more democratic nations and were not able or eligible to vote under the constitution put in place by the dictatorial regime after the attempt to return the country to multi-party democracy.
Not a Perfect Form of Governance
According to Winston Churchill, “Democracy is not a perfect form of governance but it is still the best sort of governance that has been invented”. Today, however, this much-quoted statement by Churchill about ‘democracy’ has become very questionable. At this time, we see many British political leaders calling on African nations to rule by democratic standards – totally forgetful that it took the United Kingdom hundreds of years to reach the level of democratic governance they know today. They are totally forgetful about the War of the Roses, Civil War, Feudalism and the Class Wars which have haunted and characterised the politics of the United Kingdom in the past. But even today we can hear some people in the UK criticising a democratic latitude which are allowing some politicians from Scotland to advocate the break-away of Scotland from the realm. Fifty years ago, the argument goes, these people could have been charged and tried for treason and sentenced to be hanged by the neck until they die.
Moving Forward
It is, therefore, not fair to question the quality of democracy prevailing in Seychelles today under the rule of President James Michel, viewing same against the background of ‘democratic idealism’. In my view, it is more important for us to appreciate the steps which Michel has taken to get the country drift away from the vicious dictatorship which he inherited after more than 15 years of One Party rule.
Let us be fair and accept the fact that under René’s dictatorship, no one would have dared to criticise his governance as President Michel is being criticised today. Because he was part of the René’s past, Michel must be credited with the bravado of moving the nation more and more towards ‘democratic idealism’. As the saying goes, “One’s greatest glory exists not in never having fallen but in rising again after we have fallen”.
Michel’s decision therefore to abandon the policy of his mentor, who had succeeded to get the connivance of many Seychellois for his dictatorial behaviour, represent an historic achievement deserving of encouragement, acknowledgment and appreciation.
Just over the last 10 days, so-called democratic elections have been held in Ivory Coast, in Haiti and in Tanzania, with the defeated parties all complaining, gesticulating and demonstrating their disappointment with the results - alleging corruption, misfeasance, malfeasance and lack of democratic transparence – not unlike the sort of scenario which we should envisage in the context of our own projected Presidential Election.
Fortunately, it would appear that the voters will make sure that they do not seek for a cure that ultimately will prove to be worse than the disease.
Opinion by Sir James R Mancham, KBE, via VIOAS
Views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of OCEANUSLive
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