The election campaign is defeat of old misconceptions

The crowds, the cheering, the dancing; all have been the hallmarks of the ongoing presidential campaigns. And all are synonymous with campaigns almost everywhere. But the presidential campaign we are witnessing is unique, and as such one can say is a defeat of old and tired misconceptions about democratic culture in regard to African countries. Why? Any keen observer of African political and democratic processes knows that election seasons in a number of African countries, are sometimes accompanied by predictable violence and this is falsely perceived as the norm by mostly, those who choose to observe from a distance, outside Africa. And in the run up to the presidential campaigns here, news reports from “reputable” and “respected” western media outlets had that familiar narrative they have of African elections as being violent, with tribal loyalties taking precedence over issues. When two virulent tabloids were suspended by the Media High Council, the self styled protectors of free speech were quick to connect the action to the elections, even when evidence suggested otherwise. When some journalists decided to go into self imposed exile, the usual suspects, Reporters Without Borders, Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, and journalists and commentators in the comfort of their offices, opined and sought to connect it to what they termed as dwindling freedom of speech in the run up to the elections. And most of their predictions insinuated that Rwanda was on a precipice. To them, it was apocalypse now! One gets to understand that underlying all these opinions from such organizations and individuals is the belief they have that people in Africa cannot manage democratic processes. That they have to be told how to manage their own situations! It is part of a hangover from the old colonial mentality that treated African adults and even their leaders like children. In fact, it is people from that same school of thought, that sought to prop up the likes of Ingabire, Ntaganda and others of their ilk as what constitutes Rwanda’s political opposition, forgetting that those are not only on the fringes of the political process in Rwanda, but they even did not have what it takes to upgrade into the mainstream of our politics, as they all failed to meet the basic requirements of participating in the elections and fell by the wayside. Even before we cast our votes, one needs not be a whiz kid to see what Rwandans want and who they want as their leader. The mammoth crowds that have turned up at President Kagame’s rallies speak volumes about Rwandans and what they want for the future. More so, candidates’ civility and issue based campaigning style is a testament of political maturity. The fact that the electoral process has defied the predictions of the prophets of doom is not by accident. Those who expected violence during the elections have been disappointed. And they ought to know that all will be well, post elections. They wanted all to believe that election violence is part of what defines politics and campaigns in all of Africa. But they should not have been mistaken in the first place. A casual look at Rwanda’s process of rebirth as a nation since 1994, tells the whole story. Where state failure was expected, a nation was reborn and an effective state is in place. Few countries even in the developed world rival Rwanda in terms of effective service provision. If a country, a few years after near total collapse of the state, can be able to offer universal health insurance, something that has eluded even the United States for many years, then why should it not be a given that such a state and people can manage their own democratic processes. A section out there, mainly internationally, and especially some journalists and the universal activists-the self important, self anointed defenders of civil liberties, have their own perspectives about our democratic journey and they seem divergent from what as a people, we have made our priorities and how we perceive things here, given our history. All have rights to their opinions, but they ought not to force those opinions onto Rwandans. I think Rwandans should be given the respect to determine their destiny as they see fit. Whatever the case, Rwandans have demonstrated that they are determined to map their own future. frank2kagabo@yahoo.com