Democracy and dictatorship in Ghana and Tanzania

the long version

This book examines the evolution of democracy in Ghana and Tanzania, following long periods of single-party and military rule, and looks at the current and potential obstacles to democratic development. After discussing the nature of democracy, the author goes on to consider the conditions which have made the emergence of multi-party politics possible in Ghana and Tanzania. Ghana has a long record of political conflict, but it has been difficult to channel this along stable democratic lines, whereas Tanzania has a long record of political stability but little experience of party competition. External forces pressed both countries into democratising from the late 1980s onwards, but the ending of authoritarian rule owed much to internal public discontent. The book looks at the balance of forces between the governments and the campaigners for pluralist democracy. Multi-party politics were eventually accepted, but there is still the challenge of extending democracy beyond free elections and freedom of speech.