Raila decries ethnic based coalitions in Africa

Standard Digital

Johannesburg; South Africa:  Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has warned against ethnic based political coalitions emerging in Africa saying they could sink the Continent into deeper crisis than that witnessed in the era of single party rule.

Mr Odinga said the ethnic based coalitions pose a big threat to the advance of democracy on the Continent.

Addressing the opening session of the Eighth Symposium of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa in Johannesburg, Mr Odinga said ethnic based coalitions are have become the biggest threat to stability on the Continent.

“Today, the threat of violence hangs over almost every election in Africa because as politics has got ever more competitive, a number of leaders have resorted to ethnic, as opposed to ideologically driven alliances and modes of mobilization in our multi-ethnic societies,” Mr Odinga said.

He said ethnic based alliances have emphasized ethnic group sizes in determining one’s value in politics.

“The smaller your ethnic group, the less your chances of being invited to the high table of ethnic share-outs that pass for coalitions,” Mr Odinga said.

He said the politicization of ethnicity is having deep negative effects on national unity in Africa.

“It determines whether members of different groups within the nation perceive each other as friends or foes.

It determines whether a regime stays at the top and whether it succeeds or tumbles down,” the former PM said.

“When people are mobilized as ethnic groups and not as followers of some ideology, it will not matter how well or badly the regime performs in terms of delivering national programs. The nation comes last. This is the latest threat to democracy and stability in Africa.”

Mr Odinga and another CORD leader Moses Wetangula are in South Africa for a two-day conference on coalition politics in Africa.

Mr Wetangula is set to address the conference on Causes and Consequences of Coalitions in Africa.

Opening the conference in Sandton, Johannesburg, Mr Odinga said Presidential elections are once again becoming zero sum games in which the winners take all while the loser loses everything.

“Winning or losing is about survival, not delivery of services to the nation. In this scenario, ignored groups tend to regroup and fight back as members of ethnic groups. While citizens can easily walk away from the table where they are considered useless because of their dismal ethnic numbers, they will not simply walk away from the table where the national cake is being divided. They will demand their share, somehow,” the former PM said.

The CORD leader lauded Africa’s opposition leaders, singling out Zimbabwe’s Morgan Tsvangirai and Uganda’s Kizza Besigiye saying they represent the lot that enter the ring year in, year out to take on ruling parties, knowing well enough that the odds are hugely against them.

“Think of the job Morgan Tsvangirai is doing in Zimbabwe or the struggles of Kizza Besigiye in Uganda or the faith of Alassane Ouatara in Ivory Coast that led to his confirmation to the presidency. These are Africa’s real foot soldiers for democracy,” Mr Odinga said.

He also paid tribute to former Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade for conceding defeat in 2012 without trying to manipulate the system in his favour as many do in Africa.

Mr Odinga returns to the country at the weekend.