The wave of democratization that swept through Africa has largely been a product of pressures that has been exerted on the state by both internal and external factors. Experts are of the opinion that the wave brought about hopes and expectations across the continent. The explanation has been that democracy offers better chances for “self-actualization” and development. Such a belief is not unrealistic considering the fact that democracy represents values which the wind of change has brought on the global system. This has occurred despite discouraging and bad experiences, which Africans had to face under dictatorial systems of government.
In this situation, the process of democratization assumes full participation in global affairs and the sharing of its benefits. Also, it has been hoped that the process of democratization would provide a democratic future in Africa. This optimism has been predicated on the fact that democracy stimulates economic and social development in the continent. Some African countries, including Ethiopia, have constitutionally endorsed full democratic participation in the continent.
Experts have asserted that “good governance” is the critical factor in the democratization process. This has been considered the beginning of a process with sound development program. This seems to suggest that without good governance through accountability and transparency, democracy and development would not be expected to take place.
Researchers have been trying to assess the situations of democratization and development in Africa. They argue that democratization has impacted positively on development in some African countries. However, the reality and evidence on the ground seems to point to the contrary. This leads to the question of whether democratization is really a necessary and sufficient condition for development. Experts insist that if this is assumed to be correct, then a more fundamental question would be whether Africa has really democratized. These and other related questions constituted the major issues of democratization of African countries, including Ethiopia. These issues comprised democratization, good governance and development in the continent.
The promotion of democracy, good governance and development in Africa begins with the assumption that it is in its infancy in some countries. This assumption leads to the study of the hurdles against democratization, good governance and development in the continent. These hurdles begin with the terms and concepts of democratization, good governance and development that have generated mounting global discussions in the past. There still prevails confusion about their meanings and relationships. The conceptual confusions may be attributed to the varying degrees of values attached to them.
In the African context, they may be grouped as power, justice, peace, equality and freedom. These values of democracy, good governance and development in Africa are contested as “an embattled trinity”, calling for more clarification. This may unravel the ambivalence surrounding their relationships. Generally, it reveals a process of change from authoritarianism to a stable democracy. This process may be illustrated by the political history of Ethiopia, beginning with imperial rule and military dictatorship.
Political scientists equate “democratization” with transition to democracy, which is a political process with the transformation of the state and the political society. This concept is linked to the economic aspect of democratization in which economic factors provide an enabling environment for democratization. However, the economic factors are feared to impede political freedom by divorcing economic factors from democratization. This process operates on a continuous linkage between economic development and political advancement.
Thus, democratization is defined as the process of establishing, strengthening, or extending the principles, and institutions that define a democratic regime. The question in Africa, including Ethiopia, is the basis of the link between economic advancement and democratization? Do the people residing in the continent discuss, elaborate and agree on the definition of democratization and its application? These questions have to be addressed first to the intellectual group, then to the rest of the Ethiopian communities.
Political scientists are of the opinion that democratization is relative and changing. It is also diverse in nature, calling for caution not to analyze it as a single process. This is particularly true in the African situation. It has been a political movement from less accountable to more accountable government, from less competitive elections to fuller and fairer one. Democratization is based on civil and political rights, from weak associations to more numerous associations in civil society. Experts point out that this definition also neglects the economic factors.
It “emphasizes” only good governance in the democratization process as well as political rights within civil societies. Democratization, as suggested by the above definitions, implies the process of getting to a stable democracy, with the transitional process becoming a “challenging” one. Ethiopia has faced these challenges in the past decades in which political parties have been at loggerheads while trying to grab power without the will of the Ethiopians. The people had no chance to participate in the democratization process that leads to democracy in the country.
In the past decades, the Ethiopian students have struggled for the democratization of the society through various means. They have tried to create the conditions that could guarantee a process of transition from totalitarian rule to a democratic one. However, the long-established dictatorships and the socio-economic realities, the nature of the society and social divisions as well as historical legacies did not allow the smooth transition to democracy.
The state power and political institutions, the political culture and ideas have all been hampering the democratization process in Ethiopia. Political power retained without the participation and approval of the people has lead to bloodletting of the revolutionary youth. In addition to the merciless removal of the opposition forces, the ruling parties created power bases fortified by military functionaries that would eliminate contending forces in the future.
However, the germinating opposition groups that have been hidden within the population waiting for the decadence of the ruling parties have been able to replace the ruling parties. This has been like the sick man replacing the dead one.
The cycle of power in most African countries had led to the replacement of one dictator by another. This experience of political upheavals has given lessons to other countries that have been ready to democratize. They have also taken comprehensive lessons of good governance from concerned institutions.
The WB, for example, has offered a more comprehensive explanation of good governance. It has defined governance as the means by which power is exercised in the management of the resources of a country for development. It covered a broad public sector management, accountability, economic development reforms and information and technology.
The WB also covered the legitimacy and competence of government to formulate appropriate policies and make timely decisions for implementing them effectively. The point is that good governance is pivotal for successful democratization and development. Here, democratization has been guaranteed by an institution for the management of resources that assured the achievement of the goal of development.
The fact that development is a multidimensional as well as a value loaded concept has been complicated by realities on the ground. Generally, development has been viewed from political, economic and social dimensions. These various aspects of development are well reflected in its conceptualization as a multidimensional process involving major changes in social structures. It also involves popular attitudes, and national institutions, as well as economic growth and development.
Development is also related to the reduction of inequality and the eradication of absolute poverty. In this regard, the Ethiopian development plans and programs have the objective of eradicating absolute poverty and inequality from the country. But, the achievement of this objective demanded enormous resources from both local and external sectors.
Domestic investment has been critical for the production of goods and services for domestic and external markets. In like manner, external investment has to be attracted using various economic stimuli.
Scholars have identified the major core values of development. These include the capacity to provide as many citizens as possible with their basic needs. These needs include the ability to acquire adequate food, shelter, health care, education, and protection. They also entail the concept of self-esteem as a respected member of the society.
The freedom of individuals and societies at large has an extended form of choice with respect to the material necessities for self reproduction. These individuals have a say in the method and process by which values are allocated in the society. This is observed in Africa, including Ethiopia, where every individual wishes to express interest in the development of the society. Here, development implies capacity expansion with freedom.
As capacity expansion, development presupposes adequate empowerment of the Ethiopian society that assumes full responsibilities. This also requires an enhanced institutional and governmental stability to fulfill responsibilities. It is only within such framework that individual Ethiopians may find satisfaction of basic necessities of life.
The promotion of democracy, good governance and development is an instrument of satisfying the basic needs of life. Development demands autonomy for the political community and its constituent parts. The right of individual members of such communities must be respected in line with the Constitution of a country. In this regard, the level of popular participation is very decisive. This is part of the democratization process including good governance and development.
Experts believe that democracy and development are closely linked, with good governance as the link between them. The centrality of good governance to the whole process of democratization has been well recognized by the UN. It has increasingly been focusing on good governance as “no amount of funding, no amount of charity will set the developing world on the part of prosperity.” The UN member states, including Ethiopia, have fully recognized that good governance is indispensable for building peaceful, prosperous and democratic societies in Africa.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
BY GETACHEW MINAS
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 8 MAY 2025
