Tierno Monénembo – “The technique of the” first knockout. “

But to our greatest happiness, the political vocabulary is enriched. In Abidjan and Conakry, where words flourish in the streets, brothels, beer academies and not under the Cupola, we say “as soon as” or ” rough-rough »Instead of the word investiture. The personalities of this world do not suit themselves to hold a tête-à-tête but to “head”. To stay in power is called doing “kudaism” and this damn third term that is so much talked about, “the painful extension of té mouna yé mouna (“No water, no electricity” in the soussou language) “. This tropical version of words is in full swing even under the paneling of palaces.

KO. For democracy

Alpha Condé, Alassane Ouattara and the others no longer say “victory in 1is round ”but“ first knockout. “. By batons or ballot boxes, with us, the electoral race remains above all a gladiatorial fight where all blows are allowed. Our Democrats laugh at principles and rules. They are there to win and they will win at all costs. The public and the referee just have to take it for granted.

These smart kids know that words are never just words; that there is nothing sacred about democracy. His texts are just scraps of paper that one burns or erases at will. Nothing to hold them back! These rounds of leather from the International Community will grumble for the form and the rioters of the slums will return to their hovels at the first click of machine guns.

If democracy is still on the agenda, for the moment, political commitment is not about ideas or projects, it’s just for the cake of power. The cake of power, nothing but the cake of power, even if it means clashing with morals and the law! Opposing ethnic groups and falsifying legal foundations is not enough to grab the miraculous treat. We must also curb the Electoral Commission, the Constitutional Court and all the other cheating machines. Armed with this arsenal, no one can stand up to you. You can put on your glove and land the first knockout blow.

The same scenario repeating itself

“We do not organize elections to lose them,” said this old fox of Omar Bongo, who died on the “throne” of Gabon after 42 years of first knockouts. The single party is no longer, but the ritual worship of the leader is still there. The leader does not give in, the leader does not give in. He is without equal, without predecessor and without successor. For him, impossible to accept a defeat, even that of the ballot box! Above all, do not talk to him about alternation! To leave room for someone else is to show that “we are not a boy” as we say in the picturesque language of the suburbs of Abidjan. And then, our boss is in a hurry. The second round is too long. He wants the first knockout straight away.

Only the wind begins to turn. In Guinea, after suffering two controversial defeats, Cellou Dalein Diallo has just declared himself the winner at the end of the first round of the presidential election. A way for him to divert the technique of the first knockout to his advantage.