Liberia has not historically been the model of liberal democracy. However, conditions are changing gradually. The seeming end of the legislative stand-off, which resulted in Speaker Alex Tyler’s recusal, symbolizes the strength of our emerging democracy.
By Emmanuel Dolo and Abdoulaye Dukule
The state of our unity may be fragmented, but our new democracy has proven its capacity to withstand shocks that could have resulted in crisis, under previous governments. The credit goes to the Liberian people as a whole, who fought for many generations to reach this stage. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf also takes credit for patiently nurturing the nascent social order.
Just 15 years earlier, under Charles Taylor, consequences of the hold-off had deadly potential. For example, then Senate President Pro-Temp Charles Walker Brumskine found himself at loggerheads with President Charles G. Taylor. Brumskine had no other alternative, but to seek refuge abroad for fear of his life. Similarly, under Samuel K. Doe, the results of such a stand-off could have led to coups and counter-coups. Also, in the prior one-party oligarchy, the stand-off would have been unimaginable.
Throughout the saga, there were fears of chaos, but in reality, it was the forces of pluralism that were at work. The fact that the state withstood the tremors is indicative of the blooming seeds of people power.
Our struggles to build livelihood, community, and institutions may seem weak, but there is no denying that progress is being made. The state has managed so far to reduce some of the structural incentives to violence by inviting the emergence of multi-party political system.
The once pariah state has acquired international legitimacy, although we are still struggling to solidify domestic trust because our fledgling democracy is struggling with entrenched legacies of poverty, inequality, corruption and illiteracy.
Nonetheless, it is clear that the relationship between the state and civil society has improved dramatically, and its reversal may never be possible. It took 30 years, from the days of the Rice Riots to get the nation this far.
Essentially, the political landscape has been greatly enhanced and affected the practice of democratic citizenship. Getting to this point cost us lives and tears, but laid the foundations of an irreversible social process, which required courage and patience.
When Speaker Alex Tyler was asked to recuse himself because of the indictment he faces due to the Global Witness probe, the integrity of the state was tested. Claims and counter claims were made of a potentially autocratic executive branch and an unrestrained majority of legislators plotting against him.
Accusations flew back and forth, but in the end, the good of the state prevailed, even if reluctantly. Yes! Our democracy was pushed to the threshold, but it did not succumb, even in the face of fierce contractions. People marched and spent hours on radio and television talk shows making their case. Nobody was shot, a state of emergency was not declared, there was no accusation of attempted coup and/or any form of social upheaval.
Clearly, we are testing how far our liberal democracy can be pushed and how long it can endure, even survive. Liberians have not succumbed to their fears as in the old days when we allowed those who stoked ethnic and class hatred to lure people into violent armed groups.
The 3 branches of government are growing independent as ever before. As a nation recovering from traumatic events – rice riots, coups and countercoups, war, Ebola and their lingering effects on the collective psyche, Liberians are preoccupied with issues of livelihoods, security, justice, human rights, reconciliation and national unity. Diversity must be our strength and not a weakness.
It must bridge the different social components that make up Liberia. The work of nation building has just begun. Liberia, as a modern republic, where social justice and equality reign supreme, where there is no minority holding on to all powers, has just began to emerge from the ashes of war.
The leaders of tomorrow will have to convince the people to vote for them and therefore will have to address the issues voters care about:
- Putting accountability, transparency and integrity at the center of governance;
- Fostering shared material prosperity and physical safety;
- Protecting against the political excesses of predatory politicians;
- Creating jobs, educating and training citizens;
- Enhancing support for civil society; and
- Empowering the people to take ownership of their own development.
Liberia will not be a “perfect” democracy anytime soon. But we must admit that it is making levels of progress politically. Some might not want to construe the Tyler case as a true test of our democracy, but in our mind, this is a remarkable achievement so far. Peace prevailed.
It took generations to reach this far. Credit is due to all Liberians. But the transition into this new era could have been distorted anywhere along the way in the past eleven years. It took true leadership to keep the ship sailing.
