Ivory Coast

As my blog focuses more on the world than the US particularly, i thought it interesting to comment on the recent situation in Ivory Coast. It is worldwide and very common knowledge that African countries rarely swap their presidents, are corrupted, do not have transparent economies and most of them are headed by dictators but for once one of these countries is trying to get out of the block, mainly thanks to the media. With the recent media attention given to this country, it brought foreign aid and intervention in their recent political struggle to conduct a free and fair election. The outgoing president Laurent Gbagbo as many of his other counterparts is refusing to hand over power. The recent elections have shown that his biggest contestant Allasane Ouattare has actually won the election. This is a first, and hopefully the start of the end of the reign of African dictators. Gbagbo has been delaying the announcements of the results, mainly because he is trying to figure out ways to change results that have already been leaked to the public thanks to the media. It is amazing  just how much the media can affect a country's political situation, in turn affecting the economy. With the leak of the results, it makes it doubly difficult for him to cheat, and in the eventuality he does it becomes an international public crime. It is my wish and hope that just as the media in Ivory Coast put aside fear and pushed their country towards a democracy and the 21st century, that other African nations will follow suit and their respective media will forget the threats hanging over their heads and focus solely on doing a reporters job which is bringing information to the public.Until then all  we can do is hope and forecast that change is definitely on the way.