Naïve, bordering on satire is the only thing you can say about this article. 

He was never a democrat. Like most leaders, especially Islamist leaders in the Islamic world, he is an Islamic supremacist bent on internal and external Islamic imperialism. 

Elections are the least important aspect of a democracy or the path to democracy. However, elections seem to be the sole focus and measuring stick that most people in the West use. 

Without, accountability; a free press; free speech; an allowance of dissent of opinion; respect for others to have a wide variety of views;  that those with wealth, power, and status allow themselves to be subjected to full accountability; etc.;. elections are an exercise for totalitarian absolutists to take power from semi-benign and more reasonable authoritarian regimes. 

We must remind ourselves of a  comment with much insight used in the 1960s about the democraic political status of the recently independent colonies.

One man, One vote, One Time