THE POWER OF DISCIPLINE

The definition commonly given to democracy, which is universally accepted, is that of the government of the people by the people and the people. The difference between democratic countries lies in the methods of effective exercise of power by the people.

History tells us that in ancient Greece, where the word "democracy" was coined, the inhabitants of the city met in a certain place to take decisions together. This reminds us of certain societies in our country where power is exercised by generation or age class; Which brings all members of this society to exercise power at some point in their lives.

In our modern societies, the power of the people can only be exercised by delegation. This means that, at some point in time, the people, to whom the power belongs, chooses a certain number of persons to whom it delegates its powers and which it is in charge of exercising in its name and in its place for a time already determined. This choice is usually made through elections. The power is given to the person who obtains a majority of the votes at the vote.

The tacit contract which binds the people to the one to whom the power is entrusted is that during the time of the latter's mandate, all the decisions he takes engage the people without the latter having anything to say. Obviously, presented thus, the way is open to all abuses. It is for this reason that institutions have been set up, and as Montesquieu, the French thinker, has written, in order "that power can not be abused, it is necessary that, by the disposition of things, power. "

In the Western system we copy these institutions are usually a parliament, an independent judiciary, a strong and independent press as a civil society well organized and very vigilant. In some political systems, the people are sometimes consulted on certain well-defined subjects, through what are known as referendums or voting as we say in Switzerland. Once this system is thus exposed on the theoretical plane, what actually makes it work in practice? The secret is discipline.

This discipline means that the decisions of those who have been elected to the leadership positions, even if we think that these decisions are not good. If in a democratic country everyone wanted to act according to what he believed to be his truth, ignoring the decisions of the leaders because he thought they were not sensible, we would quickly find ourselves in a situation of anarchy, Which would lead this country to its ruin. It is not without reason that Felix Houphouet-Boigny said that he preferred injustice to disorder, because the former could be repaired, while the latter could endanger the life of a nation or a state.

Today, the election of Donald Trump to the post of President of the United States makes a lot of ink, because of the personality of the man. But the question is no longer whether he can lead the United States or not. All the decisions he will take, and he has begun to take them, will engage all Americans, whatever they may think. And anyone who does not respect these decisions will simply be punished.

What of Francois Hollande has at this moment one of the lowest ratings of popularity that a French president has ever had, All the decisions he was taken during his term of office will be binding on all Frenchmen and anyone who does not comply will be punished.

That is how democratic societies have always worked, and that is what has been their strength. It is in Africa that we believe that democracy means the end of the authority of the leader, and the possibility for everyone to do what he wants. What we have just said about democracy in the states is totally valid for political parties. A political party operates above all by respecting a certain discipline. And when the decision-making bodies do so, all the members of that party are bound to comply with it, under pain of being punished.

To quote the American example, When the Republican party's primary system chose Donald Trump as the party's candidate, it was not permitted any party within that party to stand as an independent candidate, even though at that time it was believed That with Trump, the republican party was running towards defeat.

In Nigeria, at every election, there are the ambitions that some want to satisfy at any cost, and the feeling in others that they know better than the leaders of their party who must represent him, The occurrence themselves. They may not be wrong, but it is confusing and weakens the political parties. The spokesman of a political party recently spoke of the possibility of organizing primaries as in France and the United States. Why not ? But in the meantime, for these legislative ones, The parties have opted for the appointment of representatives.

The militants of these political parties should respect this. Honesty would like to see that when one does not wish to comply with the decisions of the organs of an organization of which one is a member or to one's discipline, one simply resigns.