In 2007 Sierra Leone held fair elections for the president and parliament. Will these lead to increased development and democracy? This essay by the Center for Global Development assesses the elections from the perspective of the country’s troubled history and post-conflict state building. The long-term impact of the elections will depend on the government’s ability to tackle endemic corruption, rebuild infrastructure and encourage investment. It also depends on the emergence of a constituency that has the knowledge, power and commitment to demand democratic governance from its leaders.
Sierra Leone has huge economic potential and yet it is the second poorest country in the world. After ten years of internal war that ended in 2002, the country had degenerated so much that it was unable and unwilling to fulfil the functions of a normal state, including providing services and security to its citizens. The 2007 elections might lead to more successful and rapid development than in the recent past. However, much needs to be done to develop democracy in a country with a history of entrenched patronage politics, a literacy rate of only 35 percent, 70 percent unemployment and an average life expectancy of only 40 years. The key dilemma for this and other poor countries is that democracy does not guarantee better governance. If democratic elections carry no guarantee of improved governance and living standards, then why should the international community urge such elections, especially given their high cost?
Democracy at least forces governments to be more transparent and less repressive even if it doesn’t guarantee probity, the rule of law and rapid economic progress. Furthermore, there is no viable alternative.
- Successful elections create openings for the emergence of a constituency for real democracy, including accountability and good governance.
- Civil society organisations concerned with democracy and human rights can expand in number and capacity.
- Elections may over time educate citizens to understand that they can and should have a voice in the political affairs of their country and hold governments accountable.
- Real decentralisation may hasten the process but it will take more than one or two successful elections.
The newly elected government in Sierra Leone is critical to the future development of democracy. It remains to be seen whether its leadership will have the commitment, the courage and the capacity to tackle the tasks of changing the nature of politics in their country.
- The rule of law is critical to the development of Sierra Leone. Without it, there will be little of the investment needed to accelerate growth, provide the jobs, expand public services and upgrade the physical infrastructure.
- The patronage networks will need to be dismantled.
- Corruption at all levels of the public sector is widespread and must be eliminated, although this will be difficult.
- The judiciary needs to be made independent. It is still widely regarded as being beholden to the politicians and so provides no guarantee of the rule of law.
