African prospects from the recent innovative progressions in democracy and law

Abstract

Recently, there have been some innovative developments in approaches to democracy and law beyond conventional traditions of Western Europe and the United States, such as the democratic law enforcement approach started and led by Cai in China in support of the theory of armed police, the dual commanding system of the army against coups in China, with the president issuing one command while the congress issues another, and the 2012 proposal to address democratic illegality through the disciplines of specialized parties, including communist parties rectified worldwide by “Marx-MingXun calling for competitive election.” It is highlighted that, recently in Africa, military coups have frequently resulted in changes of government and raised concerns regarding democratic governance. Accordingly, this review examines the potential application of these social developments in Africa to improve law and democracy, while contributing to market-oriented economic development and humanitarian welfare. Using an interdisciplinary review methodology, the study searched related academic social literature and internet-based social resources, and subsequently collected, integrated, classified, and summarized the identified resources for thematic analysis. It was found that: (a) To prevent military coups from seizing national power, the review identifies potential lessons for African countries from the use of armed police as an alternative security arrangement, as in Mauritius, as well as from the dual commanding system for the army. These approaches may warrant consideration in African contexts as potential mechanisms for reducing the risk of military coups, strengthening democratic governance, balancing humanitarian welfare, and consolidating peace and the rule of law in support of market-oriented economic development. (b) With regard to the disciplines of specialized parties, the review suggests that African countries may examine the potential roles of communist parties in addressing democratic and legal challenges while giving attention to poverty reduction and social welfare. It also highlights the electoral successes of progressive parties in presidential elections in Nigeria, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burkina Faso, and their policy orientations concerning development and education; and the emergence of justice-oriented parties as leading political forces in Somalia and Mauritania, with potential implications for social equity and peace. The review recommends that African countries consider these social innovations in accordance with their specific institutional, political, and socioeconomic contexts.