COMMUNOCRATIC GOVERNANCE

More than 60 years after independence most African countries have failed to emerge from underdevelopment. This situation is generally attributed to poor governance. Malgovernance or denial of democracy? That's where the debate lies. At a time when many African intellectuals are beginning to advocate autocracy the seizure of power by force and the legitimization of authoritarian regimes in Africa the author who continues to count on the development of democratic processes in Africa proposes in this essay a way out of the impasse. A path he calls Communocratic Governance based on the old concept of representative democracy. But one that gives pride of place to local authorities. In his view these are the most likely to drive growth and sustainable development in Africa.