30/08/2008 08:58 - (SA)
First protect our democratic principles
By Mamoudou Sy
Following transparent elections in March 2007, Mauritania had become an example often sited in the Arab world and in Africa. On August 6, the military overthrew the democratically elected president, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, and his government. This bloodless coup was unexpected and is a terrible blow to our democracy. The international community quickly reacted by condemning and threatening a country which, it is true, had plunged into instability after a serious political crisis of over three months. Instability: it is in these terms that one has to understand the blunders, which are actually signs of weakness of the SIDIOCA (Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi) gouvernment. Three prime ministers in one year, of which two heading up the same government of Yayha Ould Waghf - a man who incidentally ended up doing a lot to make people forget his predecessor ZZ (Zeine Ould Zeidane) and focus all the unhappiness upon himself. Nothing, absolutely nothing, justifies solving political differences by calling in the military. Can one even for a moment imagine that the two-year long political crisis in Belgium will be solved by the intrusion of soldiers? Difficult to imagine! One can argue that this is a European nation with a long democratic tradition. Closer to us, the rainbow nation of Nelson Mandela has, for the last few months, experienced a flurry of political incidents and Thabo Mbeki has even been knocked straight out of the leadership of the ANC. Those who know South Africa would never even entertain the idea that soldiers could come in and solve this political conflict through a military coup. Military force is not superior to the law.
This coup d'etat that takes us back twenty years, was simply unnecessary. The deed is done, but nothing is totally lost yet and our generals can still salvage our democracy. All they have to do is sacrifice their personal interests in favour of constitutional legality and the respect of the rights of the Mauritanian people. It is only through such a gesture of self-sacrifice that a climate of calm can be restored - a climate favourable to bringing all the political actors in the country together to protect the fundamental democratic principles that were extracted, three years ago, from a dictatorial regime. Protecting these principles is the only way to strengthen and reinforce national unity and the office of the president.
Mamoudou Sy
Président du Regroupement de la Presse Mauritanienne (RPM)
Directeur de Publication de L'EVEIL HEBDO
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