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May 3, 2007 France is a great nation from every indices. The fourth richest nation in the wider world only after America, Japan and Germany holds UN Security Council's veto power. In that regard the country with Paris as capital could be said to be powerful. With its colonial exploits and language influence France has been made a paradise by leaders who believe in the spirit of egalitarianism and social solidarity. Great names like General De Gaulle and Francoise Mitterand readily come to mind. Even Guillotine as an instrument of execution was invented in France. And with their popular revolution centuries ago France has come of age indeed in political, economic and social evolution. As presidential and parliamentary polls in Nigeria were experiencing all kinds of hiccups--killings, ballot box snatching, ballot stuffing, allocation of votes, award of fictitious figures to favoured candidates and other shotcomings from Iwu's INEC whose unpreparedness and collusion with PDP went a long way to disenfrachising millions of Nigerians on election days-- French men and women, young and old of voting age simply queued up to cast their votes for their preferred candidates in an atmosphere of joy and conviviality. No one was reported killed as the exercise lasted as against hundreds of our compatriots who were massacred by security forces aiding and abetting an elaborate electoral charade. One saw democracy in its true colours in France as opposed to the giant of Africa: freedom of choice, justice, free enterprise, lawful assembly and guarantees of safety by the state. The first round of balotting in France gave victory to the conservative left-wing former Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy but insufficient for him to form the next government post-Chirac. The next winner following Sarkozy closely is the Margareth Thatcher of French politics Ségolène Royal who garnered 25 percent of the total votes cast as against Sarkozy's 30 percent. The third in that order is one François Bayrou who is now the most sought after politician in France because whoever he supports with his supporters may carry the day this weekend in the second final round. As President Chirac prepares his exit from the glamorous Elysee Palace he has declared his assets according to the law. The Chirac family has some two hundred thousand Euros in their bank accounts excluding landed properties acquirred before becoming President. The president with his wife Bernadette equally declared possessing still an automobile Peogeot 205 bought many years back. The old peogeut 205 is the only car they are known to own! Given the fact that Chirac has been in public service for close to thirty unbroken years becoming Mayor of Paris, Minister, Prime Minister and President one would have expected him to amass wealth for himself and his family but no in France unlike Nigeria there is a strict law against graft in power. And presidents always come to better the lot of the people making names for themselves for good reasons. When you consider Chirac's fortunes after thirty years he has dutifully spent climbing steadily the political ladder till reaching the apex twelve years ago and just eight years General Ibrahim Babangida spent in power after shooting his way there and leaving Aso Rock with billions of dollars stolen funds then the reason of our national misery is painted better. With OBJ striving hard to even surpass IBB in kleptocracy then one is left wondering when a patriot and visioner will mount the saddle to clean up the augean stable. I believe in the next century (if Nigeria survives that is) our home country may not be as sophisticated and morally upright in politics as the French men and women. Why? Simply because the French society was built on freedom of competition for all, social solidarity and egalitarianism which takes care of the weak and elderly. The law cannot be manipulated with impunity rather it takes good care of everyone no matter how rich you are or how influential. And above all the state is made to be greater and more important than whomsoever. When I was in Paris few years back I saw and witnessed this reality myself. You saw people expressing the beauty of France on the streets: 'Oh France, mon beau pays, tu vivra!' (Oh France my beautiful country, you liveth!) Having said the foregoing it must be said however that Chirac has never criticised any African Francophone dictator harshly rather he welcomes them to Elysee Palace and gives them 'advice' or minor admonitions. Paris is a mecca of some sorts for African discredited tyrants, rebels and opposition politicians who normally go there to pay their homage to the modern-day monarch with great influence. Any attempt to disrespect him or throw away his advice or admonition has earned violent change of guards in different African countries. That neo-colonial and imperial status never worked in Cote D'Ivoire because the people demystified Chirac and called his bluff. The Ivorians in their emancipated millions confronted imperialism head-on with patriotic organization and triumphed at a huge price. Jaques Chirac will be remembered for his political survival, sagacity and longevity in France. He is of course a professional politician whose eloquence is something of a study. But he could also be said to be dictator-friendly even though he's a Republican democrat. France is known the world over to be ambivalent and ambiguous whenever issues of global political morality or issues of new world order come up for debate even in UN Security Council. With China, the Asian powerful Dragon, France has on many ocassions wielded its veto power to defeat good democratic causes or attempts to call nations and dictators to order. The Chiracian years in power saw lots of help to African countries in dictatorial and democratic points of view. As President Chirac goes into deserved retirement this weekend this's wishing him well and the best of time in retirement. And this's welcoming either tough-talking resourceful Sarkozy or elegant Mrs Royal to Elysee. The African foreign policy issues should be reviewed as the eventual successor of Chirac settles down to work. Happy workers day to every decent worker in the world. And to those organizing the peaceful protests against the PDP electoral brigandage that passed off for election on April 14th and 21st I say more grease to your opposition elbows. To Baba and his fellow old electoral fraudsters like Adedibu, Ali and Anenih and many others I say a big thumbs down; Nigeria will certainly do and survive without these ignoble men. ------------ About the author: Sunny Chris Okenwa is a U-K contributor based in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. Email: soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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