It is very difficult to define the word democracy. In the most basic terms democracy is government by the people. This means every person within a country has the power to vote for his or her leader. In recent years numerous African countries have moved towards democracy. Here are a few key features of a democratic state.

FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS – YOU CAN HELP ENSURE ELECTIONS ARE FAIR!
A country could hold elections, and allow citizens to vote, without being considered a democracy. If the people are bullied into voting for a certain candidate, or their votes are ignored and not counted, their votes are not meaningful. The voter has not had free choice to pick the leader they prefer. This is known as a ‘rigged election’.

The 2015 presidential election in Nigeria is a very good example of a free and fair election. In this election, the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Muhammadu Buhari, gained more votes than Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party. Voters queued for hours, and in some cases a whole day, to cast their vote. In 2011, Jonathan appointed Professor Attahiru Jega as the leader of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The INEC oversee elections, and ensure they are fair.

Jega pushed for voting reform and hired thousands of election staff. This meant that the elections were supervised, and this supervision ensured that they were fair. Members of the public also stayed at the election stations and made sure every vote was counted. The people helped ensure the election was fair! The Nigerian people were concerned about election-rigging and they ensured that it did not happen. This is a fundamental aspect of democracy. The people of a country must get involved and vote for the person they wish to be leader.

The election of Buhari in Nigeria shows the power of a democracy. If the people of a country think their leader is failing, they should have the opportunity to replace that leader (through a fair election). This is what the people of Nigeria did. They felt that Jonathan was failing, and so instead voted for Buhari. The people can only seek change if they vote. It is important that every person has his or her say. The way to do so is by voting in a democratic election. It is the people who have power in democracy.

THE LENGTH OF A PRESIDENTIAL TERM SUPPORTS A DEMOCRACY
In Zambia, a President can only be president for two terms. A Presidential term in Zambia is five years long – that is a total of 10 years that one person can be president for and that there are five years between elections. This limit helps ensure the leader is not a dictator. If a leader can serve for an unlimited time, the people may feel that the leader cannot be replaced. Out of habit they might vote for the same leader, rather than the leader they think would be best. In 2001, the Zambian President, Frederick Chiluba, said that he would not run for a third term. However, after saying this, two months later he tried to go back on his promise. The other members of his party, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), contested this. The public were outraged with Chiluba. As a result, Members of the MMD turned against Chiluba, and finally he agreed that he would not run for a third term. Instead his Vice-President, Levy Mwanawasa, ran for the MMD in the 2001 Zambian election.

This is another important part of democracy. The President is not allowed to run for more than two terms. The people of Zambia were aware of this. They held protests, and pressured Chiluba. As a result of this pressure, members of the MMD also turned against Chiluba. Eventually he agreed to step-down. The people united against Chiluba and their voices were heard. This stopped Chiluba for running for a third term, something which he was not allowed to do by law.

WHAT CAN DEMOCRACY DO FOR YOU – YOUR VOTE IS POWERFUL

Democracy means power to the people. However, it is the Government that decides how to spend public money. Democracy can encourage the Government to act in a certain way. If a President thinks there is a risk they may lose in the next election, they will try and gain public support. They may do this by improving healthcare, for example the Botswanian government have spent a huge sum of money improving healthcare resources. Another thing a Government may do is improved infrastructure and transport. An example of this is the Addis Ababa Light Rail in Ethiopia. The Government funded 85% of this project from loans with the Export-Import Bank of China.

The people of a country can be powerful in making the government act. A vote is a powerful tool. If there is high voter turnout, the government in power will implement policies to gain votes. If they fail to do so, then they may lose the next election, and the people can replace them. In a stable democracy, it is not likely that a government will do nothing. To gain votes, they must make social changes in line with what the people want. This shows another aspect of democracy. The power of the vote can lead to huge social change.

THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA

There are increasingly more African countries moving towards becoming a democracy. Countries like Botswana, Senegal and Cape Verde are some typical examples of African countries that are regarded as democracies. However more recently, countries like Ghana and Nigeria are moving closer towards democracy. At it’s strongest, democracy can protect the people of a country from abuse by their leader, and ensure protection of their human rights. This is the true value of democracy. It acts as a check on the power of the leader. Democracy is becoming an ideal which more and more African countries are seeking to achieve.