Sierra Leone has been a war-ravaged country for some time. Corruption, violence, and tyrants have all hid behind the nation’s democratic power. But Sierra Leone has brought a form of peace to the nation by using the right to vote. Ernest Bai Koroma defeated Vice President Solomon Berewa, who was a member of the ruling party. This is a rare occurrence in Africa because power-hungry leaders will use the machinery of the state to stay on as long as they can. After the colonial era, coups, and dictatorships, democracy in Africa began in the early 1990’s. Today, the state of democracy is mixed. Sierra Leone’s neighbors have completely different forms of government. Liberia just emerged out of its own civil war and after elections held two years ago is an example of good governance in Africa. However, Guinea who is ruled by Lansana Conte has been in dictatorship for 23 years. As well as Liberia, lots of countries have been making progress in recent elections like Congo, Senegal, Mali, and Mauritania. In 1977 only 3 African nations were considered free, today, there are 11. Freedom House’s 2007 report lists 23 other countries partly free and 19 “not free”. Voting is not the only thing that needs to be done in a democracy though. The new leader needs to tackle corruption, ease massive unemployment, and keep peace within the nation. The departing president of Sierra Leone was Ahmed Tejan Kabbah who was barred from running a third five-year term. Other countries have used the same rules on terms in office like Nigeria and Mauritania, which organizes a free vote and returned power to civilian rule earlier this year. Gabon, Uganda, and Chad have gone the other way, amending constitutions to let leaders stay on. Democracy is progressing in Africa; it just will take some time to completely restore it.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/09/18/africa.democracy.ap/index.html
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