I don't really have an alternative as you are in a vicious cycle of despair here.
I wanted to say something along similar lines, ie colonisation by the UN or something like that with autocratic leadership where you cut out the cancer and educate/build over a 30-40yr period. This won't go down well though I suspect.
Some time back I was watching this interview with someone from china where they got raked over the coals for not being democratic, the person responded that china would have never been able to achieve it's growth under democracy, the country needed long term strategies to effect their growth, chopping & changing gov & policies every 5yrs would just hamper them.