I haven’t gotten a chance to mention the elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC), and I still can’t even choose words to express my pleasure in the fact that there are fair, democratic elections taking place all across Africa.
Despite the fighting between incumbent Joseph Kabila’s and Jean-Pierre Bemba’s supporters, the fact that there is a runoff to look forward to in the first place is a tremendous accomplishment.
I have always admired Joseph Kabila and his desire to see his country end her civil wars. Even more, I have admired his personal sacrifices and decision-making in moving his country forward. Although the current fighting indicates there are significant roadblocks in the way of bringing RDC full-circle from military dictatorship to democracy, I am moved by the contrast in his administration relative to the other governments in the region.
I often consider the reckless selfishness of dictators around the world. These dictators could ensure a dynasty for their families if they’d only secure a minimal standard of living for their constituents and demonstrate a modest level of generosity. In an ideal world, the finest gift a leader could pass on to their children would be the goodwill of their citizens.
There are so many directions in which I could take this discussion, but that would take pages and pages of writing. I must say, leaders willing to relinquish personal grip on the fortunes of their countries are needed to forge progress throughout the developing world.
As many of us are tired of hearing, corruption is a popular excuse for why we haven’t made more substantial progress in developing infrastructure and economies in the developing world.
We must eliminate this inadeqate excuse from the lips of western donors and aid coordinators.
I think Kabila is making a step in this direction.