Ballot or Bullet: A Litmus Test for Democracy

Earle Taylor



AFRICA and the world are very concerned about the unfolding events in Egypt. But Egypt’s third eruption in less than two years is no happestance. The writing was always on the wall and recent events are just the culmination of unsettled overflows.

When the political dust and martial encumbers eventually assume some transitional normalcy, a new Egypt will emerge to face three critical realities.

First, a stronger military; second, a weaker governmental instruments and third, a more divided and daring society. The military’s influence is likely to get stronger, not from or by anything that it will do, but from the mere fact that the political divisions, citizens distrust and cultural tiers and rigidities will continue and even escalate.

Political and economic stability, at best, will be temporary unless and until positive diplomacy is given a chance to work. Governance systems and governments, during this interim period, must recognise these critical factors and the strategic role of a non-partisan military as all devote their machinery to the important task of confidence and economic recovery and making sure that the nation’s citizens, assets and interests are safe and secure.

Much has already been said about the Arab Spring. Some have expressed much hope for democracy in Egypt and the region and some expect more panic and uncertainty. For me, the Arab Spring is not so much about the search or quest for democracy. It’s more about change and its management. Change in leadership style and approach, change in citizen relations and economic expectations and the unconditional recognition and acceptance of the rights and role of civic society, government and the military in a fledgling democracy.

After all, citizens are the drivers of communities and cities. They are the centre of society, not politics, governments, military or any derivative or predominant group of individuals. Politicians and governments are servants of the people and communities and they gain or retain their legitimacy to govern from the people and communities through regular free and fair elections.

Wherever ‘privileged pockets’ are perceived to exist in any society and are given more importance than citizens and communities, then there is every likelihood of tension, civil unrest, and economic and political instability.

As a matter of fact, this so-called Arab Spring is nothing more than a rebirth and rebrand of the countries’ liberation struggle. Only that this time the aggressors and targets are not necessarily aliens, they are people intrinsic to the soil. For Egypt, it is the start of a new beginning. But more significantly however, the Arab Spring marks a decisive departure for dominant governments, archaic governance systems, structures and personalities, everywhere.

The Arab Spring is a wake-up call to traditional democracies as well – big, small and those in between. It is a compelling force from within a society that is powering a rethinking of the status quo and driving the politicultural shift away from philosophies that made the Pharaohs; from dogmas that produced the Saddams and the philosophers of the Western world who would wish to redirect globalisation and its values in their favour.

The Arab Spring is reminding us that “democracy” is not a standard construct, nor is it a finished product, and it is by no means synonymous with the ballot. It has to be contextualised and internalised and the bullet or the tank has very little to do with voluntary acceptance.

Egypt’s Spring is a shift to a new paradigm. Although this new paradigm is still to be defined and marketed. Until this definition is done and a new consensus reached, Egypt will continue its struggle and search for internal consensus and a shared common vision. That is why there is talk of building a new constitution.

This new constitution needs to be well constructed and should be done with clear objectives and strategies for inclusiveness. In this regard, the model that created Namibia might provide some semblance of logic to kick-start the Egyptian constitution reconstruction.

The moral of all this unfolding Arab Spring drama of which Egypt is the latest victim, should provide interesting lessons not just for Africa and the Middle East. It is food for thought for the entire world. For academicians, researchers and scholars of political science, development economics, law, diplomacy, security and parliamentary governance it represents a new paradigm for global reconsideration, consensus and collaborative reconstruction.

It conjures a new thought on how power is moved back to the real people and where the ballot signals acceptance only to the extent that campaign promises and deliverables to the people remain on track.

Egypt is not asking for tears but it is crying for authentic leadership. As we watch Egypt’s story unfolds, it is bringing attention to Africa, Middle East and the world about the need and urgency for a global renaissance and rethinking of how governments work with their citizens and vice versa, and how in a global world countries maintain economic stability, growth, harmony, security and durable peace shared by the greatest majority.

In the end, Egypt’s citizens will have to make a choice between the ballot, the bullet but not both.



*Earle Taylor is Deputy Vice Chancellor of the International University of Management