Corrupt African Nations 

The following are just a few examples of countries that hold regular elections.  However, these elections are so flawed and corrupt that there is no way they can be considered democratic.  Many nations that are having successful elections now where in this state less than a decade ago. The people living in these nations are left with very few options regarding the political situations.  In addition, many people are starting to lose faith in the voting process.  In most of these countries below, the president has been the same person for multiple decades.  The elections are so fraud and corrupt that the people's opinion does not make a difference.  Read below to see some specific examples of this. 

Chad

President: Idriss Déby

• Chad achieved complete independence on August 11, 1960.
• François Tombalbaye became the first president.  Two years after his inauguration, Tombalbaye banned all opposition and made Chad a one-party state. 
• During a civil war, Tombalbaye was overthrown and killed in 1975.
• Hissène Habré took over the nation, and ruled from 1982 until 1990. 
• In 1990, Idriss Déby overthrew Habré and became president.  He remains in power today.
• In 2005, Transparency International listed Chad as the world's most corrupt country. 
• For more information on Chad, click here. 

Zimbabwe

President:  Robert Mugabe

• After a long road of fighting with the White Majority, Zimbabwe recieved independence on April 17, 1980.  Free elections were held, and Robert Mugabe wa elected president. 
• Mugabe is the only president that Zimbabwe has ever seen. 
• The majority of elections are blatantly rigged and often military force is used to sway voters. 
• Recent constitutional changes will require parlimentary and presidential elections to be held at the same time in an effort to reduce Mugabe's power. 
• The people of Zimbabwe are not happy with their current situations, and the nation has one of the highest inflation rates in the world.  However, there is not much the people can do because when they do vote, it does nothing.
• For more information on Zimbabwe, click here.

The video below shows one of the ways that Robert Mugabe has been able to stay in power since 1980. Click the "play" symbol in the middle of the movie to begin watching. 

Guinea:

President:  Col. Lansana Conte

• Guinea achieved independence on October 2, 1958.  Ahmed Sékou Touré was the first presidnt. 
• Touré made Guinea the first Marxist stte in Africa.
• In 1974, Touré was re-elected to another seven-year term.  This happened again in 1981.
• Touré died in March 1984 after serving as president for 26 years.  A week later, a military regime led my Col. Lansana Conté took over power. 
• Conté declared Guinea a multi-party democracy in 1989, and two years a new constitution was approved.  In 1993, Conté was re-elected.
• Presidential term limits were removed in 2001, and Conté ran for a third term. 
• Conté was re-elected in December of 2003. There is much criticism against Conté for being corrupt and an authoritarian leader.
• For more information about Guinea, click here. 

Gabon

President: El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba

• Gabon became an independent republic on August 17, 1960.
• Gabriel Léon M'ba, Gabon's first president, was elected in 1961.
• M'ba died in 1967, and Omar Bongo Ondimba became his successor. 
• Bongo has won every election since then, and remains president of Gabon today. 
• In 1990, a transitional constitution allowed political parties and called for free elections. 
• The first multi-party election held in 1993.  Bongo recieved only 51% of the votes, which qualifies him as the winner.  However, there is much speculation regarding the accuracy of this election. 
• In December of 1998, Bongo was re-elected for yet another seven-year term.  The constitution was ratified in July 2003 to allow Bongo to be re-elected indefinitely. 
• He changed his name in 2003 to El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba.
• In December 2005, he was re-elected to another seven-year term.
• For more information about Gabon,click here.

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