Ambassador Jackson’s Remarks at Launch Event for Freedom House Program

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Deputy Director General of ELECAM, Government officials, civil society representatives, members of the press,  colleagues in the diplomatic corps, honored guests—

It is a pleasure to address you this afternoon at the launch of Freedom House’s “Legitimate Milestone Elections” program.  The U.S. State Department is pleased to fund this program because first and foremost we want to see Cameroon succeed in holding free and fair elections, elections that are transparent, credible, and peaceful.  We want to support an electoral process that is inclusive and that inspires public confidence so that voters—in greater numbers—believe that they can and will make a difference. 

As many of you already know, the purpose of the Freedom House program is help civil society organizations to mobilize voters.  At the very heart of the program lies the notion that vibrant democracies require animated debate and lively participation from an energetic electorate.  Healthy democracies also presuppose a dynamic civil society.

In Cameroon, as in the United States, we believe that civil society has an important role to play in the electoral process.  Whereas politicians reach out to voters in order to increase their electoral results, civil society organizations do so in order to increase electoral turnout.  Here in Cameroon, civil society organizations already are helping voters understand where and how to register and are offering feedback to ELECAM on how the registration process is working. 

But outside of the electoral process itself, civil society has an important role to play in pressing for good governance, serving as a “watchdog,” and holding elected officials accountable.  Civil society organizations should engage citizens, outlining their rights, broadening their perspectives, providing them with a voice, and encouraging them to participate more actively in the political process.  If the news media is the “fourth estate” in the United States, than perhaps civil society is the “fifth estate.”  The relationship between government and civil society is symbiotic.  It is not always easy, but is easily worthwhile.

Nelson Mandela, perhaps one of the greatest leaders in our day, once said:  “There is no such thing as part(ial) freedom.”  I imagine that his views of (and appreciation for) freedom were deeply shaped by the nearly three decades of his life that he spent in prison.  And he is right—in absolute terms, we must strive to be entirely free, not partially free.  Either we have the right to vote or we do not.  Either we have the freedom to express ourselves or we do not.  Either we have the right to associate and the right to assemble peacefully or we do not.

I would like to add to that.  Not only must we strive to be free, but we must strive to exercise that same freedom, and to exercise it entirely (and not in part).  Either we vote or we do not.  Either we express our views freely or we do not.  Either we exercise our rights to associate and assemble or we do not.

Your right to vote is supreme and exists independent of whether or not there is a candidate that you support and independent even of whether or not you believe that the vote you cast will achieve a change.  If you relinquish your right to vote today (when you think it does not matter), it may not be there for you tomorrow (when you think it does).  Remember:  we do not need to wait until a democracy exists to practice it. As a general rule, I believe we need to practice it most where it exists least.

I acknowledge that democratization is not a simple process and that society’s make progress gradually, step-by-step.  Indeed, in the early history of the United States, the right to vote belonged primarily to white, male, property owners.  Several States allowed only Christians (of certain denominations) to participate in the electoral process. Many States prohibited “idiots” (defined as “insane”) from voting (although to my knowledge these same persons were not prevented from running for office).  The freedoms that exists in the United States today evolved over time. They certainly did not spontaneously emerge on their own, but was the fruit of a great many efforts over a great many years.

So democracies are not built in a day.  They are constructed over the course of years that span generations of lives and life-times of commitment.  And who are the builders of this democracy?  It is you.  In this light, I encourage every Cameroonian to register to vote.  To register is to assert (and protect) your stake in your democracy. 

I encourage you civil society representatives to play a constructive and responsible role.  If and where you see weaknesses and faults in the electoral system, become parts of the solution, not parts of the problem.  Nelson Mandela also said that “to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”  In that sense, I encourage you to be conscientious, trustworthy, and principled.  Former President Wilson said, “Democracy is not so much a form of government as a set of principles.”

Although democracy (and civil society) is a vehicle for change, it should not be mistaken for the change itself.  Civil society is not a shadow government or even the anti-government.  Civil society’s visions should be better governance—to support rather than supplant government institutions.  Civil society should foster a debate that also aims to raise the level and quality of journalism so that journalists hold themselves as accountable as the politicians they often criticize.

Lastly, I encourage the Cameroonian Government to view this program as an opportunity, an opportunity to refine the electoral process and expand the electoral base.  It has been said to me that civil society leaders do not have a mandate because they are not elected.  While they may not be responsible to an actual voting constituency, the public, they do have an allegiance to the public interest. 

I encourage the Cameroonian government to seek every opportunity to make these elections truly “landmark” elections, in terms of transparency and public confidence.  This will require departing from what has been done in the past, to take an innovative and even courageous approach.  Social networking platforms like Ushahidi and Twitter can go a long way toward increasing public interest and confidence.  Other possibilities include moving to a single ballot, encouraging civil society to conduct parallel vote tabulations, and employing mobile tools for registration. 

These may be areas where civil society and government could work together.  The relationship between government and civil society need not be only textual (exchanging criticism in the public domain), but should take the form of meaningful collaboration in pursuit of common initiatives.  As the political author, James Bovard wryly stated, “Democracy must be more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.”  United by a common goal—successful elections—I believe civil society and government can accomplish a great deal together.

No elections and no democracy is ever apt to be perfect, but may we approach that imperfection as an opportunity rather than a deterrent.  Allow me to conclude by once more quoting Nelson Mandela, an icon for political and democratic reconciliation everywhere.  He said:

I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.

I wish Freedom House success in its program and Cameroon success in its electoral preparations.

Thank you.