118. A day of celebration for democracy lovers around the world
Two very unusual events have simultaneously happened in recent times that will have its impact for a long time to come. A lesson to others.
First it was the former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who ruled the country from 2007 to 2012. The right-wing president is convicted of hiding illegal overspending for his unsuccessful re-election campaign.
He lost to the Socialist party’s François Hollande.
Sarkozy’s campaign spending was €42.8m, nearly double the legal limit. He denied all wrongdoing, but France’s highest court upheld an earlier ruling, making Sarkozy’s conviction final.
Sarkozy will now have to serve his sentence.
He had been sentenced on appeal to a one-year prison term, half of which was suspended. That six-month prison term can be served through means such as wearing an electronic tag, without going to jail.
Sarkozy has faced a series of legal challenges since leaving office.
He is also facing a conviction for criminal conspiracy to obtain election campaign funds for his presidential attempt from the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Another high-profile case is from Brazil.
Former president Jair Bolsonaro has been ordered to start serving his 27-year sentence in a 12 sq metre bedroom in a police base in the capital, after his conviction for plotting a coup.
He was also a far-right leader who governed Brazil from 2019 until 2022.
The supreme court has found him guilty and handed over punishment for leading a criminal conspiracy to stop his leftwing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, taking power.
He is convicted for plotting to assassinate Lula and his running mate, Geraldo Alckmin after military chiefs refused to take part.
Court has convicted Bolsonaro and six accomplices of trying to “annihilate” Brazilian democracy and plunge the country back into dictatorship.
Bolsonaro has been living under house arrest since August.
He has been taken into custody after he unsuccessfully tried to cut off his electronic ankle tag with a soldering iron.
The former defence minister Gen Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira, and the former minister for institutional security Gen Augusto Heleno received sentences of 19 and 21 years respectively.
The former navy commander Adm Almir Garnier Santos has received a 24-year sentence.
Bolsonaro’s former defence minister, Gen Walter Braga Netto received a 26-year sentence.
His former justice minister, Anderson Torres received a 24-year sentence.
All are under arrest except the former spy chief Alexandre Ramagem who received a 16-year sentence has recently fled to the US to avoid jail.
Media had created hype that his followers will come on the road but so far there has been no sign of mass protests or unrest.
Both the above events have happened in democratic countries. Both leaders happened to be right wingers, that could just be a chance.
However the message the world leaders have been conveyed with these two convictions will have far reaching effect.
It’s a day for celebration for all democracy lovers around the world.