Ethan Zuckerman writes:
Meanwhile Jimmy Kainja discusses how the Zambia result spotlights "a rare moment" in the history of African politics:
Africa is becoming a hotbed for democracy. Freedom House (whose methods I sometimes disagree with, but who offer a global view of political freedoms over a long period of time) identifies three “free” states in West Africa (Ghana, Benin and Mali), and three in southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana and Namibia) as well as three of the small island states. And more than twenty states meet Freedom House’s “partly free” criteria, including powerhouses like Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal. Zambia is listed as partly free, but this year’s successful election might lead to an upgrade. Nigeria, often dismissed as a basket case, had a pretty good election this year as well.concluding:
There’s a danger that we miss a major story here: democracy is taking root in Africa and spreading rapidly. Nations like Zambia, which survived autocratic rule and then dominance by one party are now seeing democratic change. It’s important to cover African crises and tragedies, but not at the expense of the hopeful news of democratic success and change.More here
Meanwhile Jimmy Kainja discusses how the Zambia result spotlights "a rare moment" in the history of African politics:
No one can say what future holds for Zambia under Michael Sata but Zambians can be assured that they have a man in power that majority of them voted for. Banda has shown that he is a true statesman. His loss is not only a victory for Sata, it is also a triumph and a rare moment for African politics and democracy. Let us hope this is not an isolated incident but a sign of maturing democracy...[continue reading]
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