DROITS DE LA PERSONNE, DEMOCRATIE ET DEVELOPPEMENT
PAR CLARENCE J. DLAS ET DAVID GILLIES
PREMIERE PARTIE : PRESENTATION ET ARTICULATION DES CONCEPTS
SUMMARY
Democracy and the respect of human fights are at present the main aspirations of the people of the world. And these aspirations are the pillars for a durable development.
In the west, efforts are been made to rejuvenate the liberal democratic institutions, contrary to countries of the south where it is not the case.
On the other hand the role that NGO's play in the democratisation of the civil society and their efforts to reduce the negative effects of the SAP seems to make them more dependable on their financial backers, rather than on their community base. It is for this reason that the notions of efficiency and output do not take the lead over the principles of integrity and participation. Eventually the declaration on the right to development is made up of principles which are applicable to development agencies both local and international that are involved in developmental activities.
PROCESSUS DEMOCRATIQUE ET ELECTIONS PLURALISTES EN AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST ET DU CENTRE (1996) : BILAN ET PERSPECTIVES
PAR Me SADIKOUAYO ALAO
Président du GERDDES-AFRIQUE
SUMMARY
The right to vote obtained as a result of the liberal democracy is not enough to guarantee democracy. It's for this reason that in the elaboration of constitutions, it's important to find other modalities for the participation of the populations.
ROLE DES FORCES ARMEES DANS LE PROCESSUS DEMOCRATIQUE
Par M. Mathias GBEDAN
Député à l'Assemblée Nationale du Bénin
SUMMARY
West Africa was for a long time and is still unfortunately, the theater of numerous military coup d'Etat which has made the africain army to emerge on the army must now be re-oriented towards development task and the fight against poverty.
THE NIGERIAN STATE AND EXPERIMENTS WITH DEMOCRACY SOME REFLECTIONS OMENTHU C. NWAORGU, ph. D
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AND ADMIBISTRATIVE STUDIES UNIVERTSITY OF PORT HARCOURT CHOBA PORT HARCOURT NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
Nigeria, one of Africa's riche and most populous country has had persistent problems with her practice of democracy. Political process has been very torturous, confusing and characterised by an interminable search for a lasting democratic political system. This has manifested several shrifts, ideological structurally and experiments with different forms of government. Between spasms of civil rule there have been military regimes of varying duration. These had promised to foster a condusive environment for democracy to flourish in.
The failure of these regimes to entrench democracy and encourage a democratic culture has raised many questions. This paper takes the position that the extant assymetrical relations of production and distribution in Nigeria affected these attempts at entrenching social order and democracy. It holds therefore, that democracy which is formulated, defined and guided by just a fraction of the ruling class, will not give birth to genuine democracy and democratisation within this framework is reason why each experiment was with failure and explants why subsequent experiments will meet with the same fate if nothing was done, and urgently too.
ROLE DE LA SOCIETE CIVILE AFRICAINE DANS LE SOUTIEN DU PROCESSUS DEMOCRATIQUE
Par : Amb. Joseph-Louis HOUNTON
SUMMARY
This role can be seen in the different types of organisations for the defense of fondamental freedoms. Besides the traditional organisations, democracy has brought about a new type of social movement for a civic character, in spired by the americain form of association. No mather what happens the civil society represents the essential element for the entrenchement of the democratic processin the wake of the 21ST Century.
RELEVEMENT DE LA CLASSE POLITIQUE ET PROCESSUS DE DEMOCRATISATION EN AFRIQUE
M. Athanase J. TOUDONOU
SUMMARY
The democratic process currently going on in Africa since the 90's appears to be foreign inspiration. There is an absence of independent refection sufficiently rooted on the social realities of Africans. This constitutional mimicry is prejudicial to the democratic process in progress. For this reason it is urgent for Africans to go back to their roots and draw out an authentic democratic model based on their values.
L'IMPUNITE :
LES DROITS HUMAINS,
LA DEMOCRATIE ET L'APPARENTE CONTRADICTION ENTRE RECONCILIATION NATIONALE ET POURSUITES PENALES
Par William A. Schabas
SUMMARY
The question of impunity is been asked with force in Africa in this period of democratic transition. Human rights organisation are particularly concerned with regards to the difficult role of pursuers that the international public opinion will want to see them play.
The declaratory of the criminal law is without doubt the most effective weapon in the fight against impunity. Whereas transition from dictatorship to democracy can imply delicate political compromises by bringing the former leaders guilty of obnoxious crimes to accept changes and even participate in these changes. It could be that fairly flexible and distint judicial mecanism based on traditional laws may play a more efficient role and contribute in fostering national unity. As sanction against impunity we could suggest for example the temporary suspension of their political rights rather than persist in the logic of revenge and sucide, trough criminal legal proceedings.
FINANCEMENT DES PARTIS POLITIQUES
Par Professeur Taofiki W. AMINOU
Secrétaire Général du GERDDES-AFRIQUE
SUMMARY
The financing of political parties in a democratic implies that decisions are freely taken by these political parties and no external force can impose a way of conduct to follow on them. In regards to this, measures accompanied by public aid, the ceiling of them. The transparent financing of electoral campagn are part of the precautions that will have to be taken in order to regulate as much as possible the financing of political parties.
AFRICA DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT
