Hillary Clinton, US Presidential election and African politics

From every indication, the wind of victory in the US presidential election in 2016 is blowing in the direction of Hillary Clinton. All things being equal, she will emerge as the 45th president of the world most powerful country.

The election is unique in the history of America’s political evolution. For the first time a woman is likely to be elected as the President of United States in the election of November 8, 2016.

Hillary Clinton’s achievement marks the final phase of the long struggle by American women’s full participation which started in the nineteenth century. The American Constitution initially did not make provision for women enfranchisement, it took sustained struggle before achieving their objective. The period saw the formation of organizations and conventions like Seneca Falls Convention (1848), First Women Rights Convention (1850), and the National Women Party (1916). The struggle was rewarded when the congress passed the Nineteenth Amendment into law on August 26, 1920. This amendment removed the legal restriction of women participation in the electoral process. The foregoing, notwithstanding, women could not aspire to be elected to the highest elective position until Hilary Clinton broke this jinx in 2016.

With the conclusion of the conventions of both parties, Clinton and Donald Trump emerged as the nominees of the Democratic and Republican parties respectively.

Trump’s lack of experience in American electoral politics and other inadequacies such as extremist disposition, manipulation of race card and lack of the support of some influential leaders of the Republican Party will work against him at the polls. His campaign programme manifested clear ignorance of electoral politics of America in which no extremist candidate has ever won a presidential election. A good example is that of Senator Barry Morris Goldwater of Arizona, a candidate of the Republican Party in the 1964 presidential election in which he was defeated with a wide margin by Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson. During the campaign in the pre-convention period of the GOP, Trump used race card to mobilise those on the far right of the Republican Party with the slogan of taking back their “White House”. Other white racial groups were mobilised to vote for Trump. The strategy initially succeeded as Trump won in the convention of the party to become the candidate of the Republican Party. He soon realised that this is not enough to win the presidential election.

What informed the earlier assertion that Clinton will likely win the presidential elections are related to a number of factors. Her background of eight years as two term first lady of her husband, President Bill Clinton equipped her with the culture of managing the White House. Her appointment as Secretary of State in the first term administration of President Obama has, also, equipped her with the practical knowledge of international relations and foreign policy. In a turbulent global political system in which America occupied a leadership position, a presidential candidate with the necessary experience is obviously the favourite of electorate. All things being equal, African Americans, Latinos and other minority group are likely to vote their traditional party - the Democratic Party. American women fought for political emancipation for many years and for the first time in their history, the election of the leadership of the country has been offered to one of their own Hillary Clinton. In view of this, majority of them are likely to vote for her. There are certain unknown “soldiers” who may be deployed to vote for Hilary Clinton. They include diehard supporters of President Obama and former President Bill Clinton.

Hillary Clinton’s presidency is likely to be of a great benefit to African politicians. The first area of benefit is that of a role model for female politicians. African women have been marginalised in the electoral process for a long time. This has made some of them to believe that electoral competition, especially, that of the Head of State is an exclusive preserve for male competitors. The reason for the marginalization varies from country to country. The major reasons are legal, cultural, sociological, historical and lack of financial resources.

The empowerment of women including African women was initiated by the United Nations Organization which organised an international conference on women in Mexico in 1985. The two recommendations of the conference were: the World Plan of Action for Women and the Declaration that 1985-1990 as United Nations Decade for Women. The World Plan of Action for Women specified 14 objectives aimed at total empowerment of women.

The Mexico conference was followed the following year with another one in Copenhagen, Denmark which reviewed the implementation of the World Plan of Action for Women.

The two conferences were attended by women from African countries. In Nigeria, the outcome of the conference was the development of women empowerment programmes by First ladies like Maryam Babangida, Maryam Abacha, Hon.Justice Fati Lami Abubakar, Hajiya Turai Umaru Yar’Adua and Dame Patience Jonathan. All the programmes of first ladies were on issues relating to economic, cultural, health and children. Political representation and leadership was not on their agenda. This is the reason women in Nigeria seriously lacked behind their men counterpart in representation in political institutions. Worse, still no woman has ever been elected as the President after fifty years of independence.

At the continental level, the situation is slightly better as out of the 53 countries 8 has recorded female Presidents - elected or interim. These Presidents are Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia), Joyce Hinda Banda (Malawi), Slyvie Kinigl (Burundi), Ivy Matsepe-Casaburi (South Africa), Rose Francine Rogombe (Gabon), Catherine Samba-Panza (Central African Republic) and Ameenah Firdaus Garib Fakim (Mauritius). From the foregoing, it could be argued that African countries still have a long way to go in terms of electing women as Presidents.

The benefits which African countries can have from the Hillary Clinton presidency is related to the foreign policy of America in the twenty-first century which are to create more secured democratic and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community.

Hillary Clinton’s presidency will no doubt create a good foundation for African women provided she adopts her husband’s African policy which had been the most successful in the history of USAfrica international relations and USAAfrican policy.

During her period as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton enumerated some of her African policy which she will adopt during her presidency. According to her education is necessary to reduce abject poverty. To this end, she proposed Education for-all Act which will amend the Foreign Assistant Act of 1961 to include financial assistance for promoting universal education in developing countries. Such policy will no doubt assist African women. Education will make them to be employed in jobs reserved for men. Also, it will make them eligible for elective position which requires a certain level of education to qualify for election.

Hillary Clinton’s concern for peace in Africa made her to advice government of the United States and other international bodies to ensure that the peace agreement signed by Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki to end the post-election violence in Kenya is respected.

The November 8 election is a challenge for both American and African women. American women are confronted with the king of the cake of their struggle for total emancipation. Their role in the election will contribute in no small way to the realisation of this objective. Anything otherwise will be against the verdict of history. For African women, Hillary Clinton’s victory will ginger their political aspiration. It will also produce a favourable American-African policy which will likely bring various forms of aid and assistance to them.

Professor Ujo wrote this piece from Department of Political Science, University of Abuja.