Why Ivory Coast matters.
Mark Goldberg on why the post-election standoff in Ivory Coast matters:
Since the end of the Cold War, elections have been de rigeur in most of Africa. Most of the time the incumbent or his party wins handily and thatâ??s that. Other times, the incumbent uses violence to reinforce his position. Sometimes challengers use violence to reinforce their position. But only once has an incumbent peacefully transferred power after losing an election.What is remarkable about Cote Dâ??Ivoire is that, so far, everyone is saying: â??Enough is enough.â? The African Union, the regional group ECOWAS, the UN, France and the United States are calling on Gbagbo to step down. Full stop. ECOWAS has even issued an ultimatum to Gbagbo: give up power, or we will intervene and forcible oust you.
This is a big test â?? both for the prospects of free and fair elections in Africa and of the ability of the African Union to support democracy across the continent. If African-led diplomacy is able to engineer Gbagboâ??s ouster, other leaders might think twice before fomenting violence after losing an election.
