The latest in coup d’etat in Gabon is only a reminder of how it is done. The army intervention in Libreville decided the fate of the ruling regime and deposed of it quickly. Today we are now discussing the fact and people are trying to figure out the future.
That’s why I am writing piece. The coup d’etat isn’t a new thing. That sort of military activity or sponsored means to end has existed for a long time. Coups have been supported internally and externally. Every nation has a various of different reasons for why it happens.
One key one is lack of good institutions or distribution of power. Meaning it could easily access all power by just taking out one man. If you got rid of one person and his associates. You are now in sole custody of power, because you got rid of another person title and office.
The “strongman” or “tyrant” is the reason for the viable option of coups. The sort of people who decrees, orders and who hold people captive. They use elections and other mechanisms to keep themselves legitimate. However, it is only the facade as the reality is much more grim. The darkness overshadowing their existence and their livelihood. They can only survive if they keep the fear, intimidation and the check on the pulse on anyone who doesn’t follow command.
That’s why coup d’etat’s happens and they also get welcomed by the public too. They see it as a relief. Even if the army commander isn’t elected or selected by the people. No, they are also future tyrant and possible brutal leaders who will quell all dissent. However, on the day and the early days of operating. It seems just like they are cleaning the house of the stench of the former despot.
That’s why the coups are in order. Yes, they are possibly quagmire and problematic. They create a fabric of government controlled by a minority group and possibly also the armed kind. These are the army commanders and the army structure left behind from the predecessor. Which again questions if they will pursuit all avenues for relief or investigate the breaches of human rights violations of the predecessors. As that means several of high ranking officials could be implicated or even sentenced or be behind bars for their actions. That is a price they have to pay. Especially, if they want to be sincere about reform and making a difference from the past leadership.
However, there are big doubts they would do this. It could not only hurt the bottom line, but also cause friction and endanger the new status quo. That’s why this is nearly never happening. Because, who wants to implicate themselves in crimes and acts of sinister activities, even if it was done on orders by a deposed dictator.
The coups will be condemn and seen as breaking the constitutional norm. Even when that is true and coups is a fallacy. Still, the elected government, which tricked themselves in, again and again. The ones who used the “legitimate” route, but did so with dishonest means. They did another type of coup and tricked the nation. These people weren’t the most popular or wasn’t the majority. However the algorithms and the rigged polls suggests so. Meaning the little civilian elite and the cronies of the despot is re-electing themselves on behalf of the nation. Instead of doing a coup with guns and ammo. The coup is done with data and altering electoral procedures to get the “announced results” and “win”.
When this is happening again and again. I understand why people don’t trust elections or even their leaders. I understand why people celebrate the demise and the toppling of tyrants. It all makes sense. They have lied themselves to the top and thinking nobody will figure it out. However, as we see… time and time again. They get found out and loses it all. Peace.
MinBane 