マラウイの歴史的な大統領選再選挙、アフリカ諸国への影響は

【ブランタイアＡＦＰ＝時事】マラウイで6月23日に行われた大統領選挙の再選挙で、野党候補が歴史的な当選を果たしたことを受けて、専門家や歴史家らはこれを機にアフリカの他国でも同様の民主改革が広がる可能性があると指摘している。再選挙は、2019年に行われた大統領選挙で不正行為があったとして実施された。（写真はラツルス・チャクウェラ新大統領〈中央左〉）
　再選挙では野党第１党、マラウイ会議党のラツルス・チャクウェラ党首が、現職のピーター・ムタリカ大統領に大差をつけて当選した。２０１９年の大統領選については、裁判所が「広範囲にわたる組織的な」不正行為があったと判断し、無効とされていた。
　サハラ以南のアフリカで、大統領選挙の結果が裁判所の判断で覆されたのは２０１７年のケニアに次いで２例目。ケニアでも再選挙が行われたが、現職大統領が再選挙によって敗北したのは、今回のマラウイがアフリカで初となった。
　裁判は６か月に及び、その間市民らの抗議デモは拡大した。２月３日にムタリカ大統領の再選を覆すとの判決を下した憲法裁判所の判事らは、防弾ベストを着て軍の護衛を受けるという異例の対応を取った。
　歴史家のポール・ティヤンベ・ゼレザ氏は、「市民らは信用を失って窮地に陥った政府から脅しや抑圧を受けてきたにもかかわらず、彼らの票が盗まれないよう、１年間も大規模デモを我慢強く継続した」と述べた。
　さらにゼレザ氏は、再選挙の結果は、権力を振りかざす政権に、組織としてまとまった賢い野党勢力が勝利できることを見せつけたと指摘した。
　南アフリカのヨハネスブルクに本拠を置く非政府組織「アフリカにおける持続可能な民主主義のための選挙研究所」のグラント・マスターソン氏は、「今回の選挙は確実に今後アフリカで行われる選挙に影響を与えるだろう」と述べた。
　さらに、マラウイの再選挙は、最も穏やかな国でも市民が我慢の限界に達すれば抗議の声を上げるということを思い出させたと指摘し、「十分な数の市民が立ち上がれば、最終的に変革はもたらされる」と話した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/07/15-13:15）

The opposition triumph in Malawi's recent landmark election re-run after last year's fraudulent polls were overturned could spur similar democratic change across the continent, analysts and historians say.
Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party comfortably won the June 23 election with 58.5% of the vote -- beating Peter Mutharika, whose re-election last year was nullified by the courts over widespread and systematic irregularities.
Chakwera's official inauguration is set for Monday, to coincide with the country's 56th anniversary of independence from Britain.
The election set the impoverished African country apart from many on the continent, making it only the second sub-Saharan African country to have presidential election results overturned in court, after Kenya in 2017.
It was also the first time in Africa that an election re-run has led to the defeat of an incumbent.
The unprecedented political feat was credited to a cohesion of several powerful forces -- including the resilience of the judiciary that handed down the historic judgement.
In extraordinary scenes, Constitutional Court judges came sporting bullet-proof jackets and under military escort to deliver the ruling on February 3 overturning Mutharika's re-election.
That was after six months of hearing evidence during a groundswell of civic society-led street protests.
For a year they persevered with mass demonstrations against the wanton theft of their votes despite threats and repression by the beleaguered and discredited government, said historian Paul Tiyambe Zeleza.
The election result showed that despite the power of incumbency, an organised and smart opposition can win, Zeleza said.
This election will certainly influence subsequent elections across the African continent, said Grant Masterson, programme manager at the Johannesburg-based Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA).
He expects that elsewhere on the continent opposition leaders will become emboldened by this success... and ramp up post-election protests against results that did not go in their favour, combined with court challenges.
Opposition leaders from neighbouring countries are drawing inspiration, hailing the professionalism displayed by Malawian institutions and citizens' vigilance.
- 'Example for Africa' -
Nelson Chamisa, Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change-Alliance (MDC-A) leader, failed in his legal bid to have the courts overturn the 2018 election which he said was stolen from him by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
He saluted Malawi's judiciary and security services for acting as a bulwark against authoritarianism and defending the constitution.
The election is a source of inspiration to democrats across Africa and a reminder to those with determined leadership, people power, unity of purpose and an undying commitment to democratic values, that no barrier is insurmountable, said Chamisa in a congratulatory message to Chakwera.
Zambia's main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, who has lost two consecutive elections, hailed Malawians for having set a great example for Africa!
Masterson said Malawi reminds us that even in the most peaceful of countries, the citizenry will only tolerate so much before they raise their voice in protest.
When enough citizens stand up, in Malawi, or Sudan and elsewhere, they will eventually bring about change, he said.
Nic Cheeseman, a professor of African democracy at the University of Birmingham agreed.
The impressive performance of key institutions, and the country's democratic progress itself, is rooted in the hard work of civil society groups and the efforts of hundreds of thousands of Malawian citizens, Cheeseman said.
Chakwera, the 65-year-old former evangelical preacher, sailed to victory thanks to a nine-party electoral alliance.
Opposition elsewhere in Africa should learn that dialogue, not division, can offer a genuine path to change, especially in those countries with less favourable institutional conditions, wrote Chatham House's Africa programme projects assistant, Fergus Kell.
Neighbouring Zambia would certainly do well to heed this example ahead of a pivotal election of its own in 2021.