Annan chides Africa’s stubborn strongmen
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan chided Africa’s leaders yesterday, saying that while the continent was making progress with democracy, too many of them were using constitutional gimmicks and political repression to cling to power.
“Let us pledge that the days of indefinite one-man or one-party state are behind us,” Annan told the annual summit of the African Union. “There is no truer wisdom, and no clearer mark of statesmanship, than knowing when to pass the torch to a new generation.”
Annan’s audience in Addis Ababa included Zimbabwe’s 80-year-old President Robert Mugabe — in power since 1980 and accused by the opposition of an increasingly oppressive crackdown — and Swaziland’s King Mswati II, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch who has waved away calls for direct democracy in his small kingdom.
Mswati, for one, did not applaud Annan’s remarks on democracy.
Annan said more African countries than ever were holding multi-party elections, while others were looking at constitutional reforms to deepen popular representation.
But problems remain, particularly with governments that try to influence the courts, muzzle the media and clamp down on real political opposition, he added.
“Politics must be inclusive, and a careful institutional balance must be preserved — including regular free and fair elections, a credible opposition whose role is respected, an independent judiciary which upholds the rule of law (and) a free and independent press,” Annan said.
“Democracy is not perfect, and democratisation is not easy. But the more accountable governments are, the more likely they are to be responsive to the needs of their people.”
While the AU is now dominated by democratically elected leaders such as South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki, Mozambique’s Joaquim Chissano and Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo, it still counts a raft of old-school rulers among its members.
Togo’s President Gnassingbe Eyadema is the continent’s longest serving head of state, holding power in the small West African country since he seized power in a coup in 1967. Libya’s Moammar Gaddafi — who is skipping the AU summit this year — has been in power since 1969.
Gabon’s President Omar Bongo, also in power since 1967, changed the constitution to remove any limits on presidential terms in office, a move also attempted by a number of other African presidents, and criticized by Annan on Tuesday.
“Let us always remember that constitutions are for the long term benefit of society, not the short-term goals of the ruler,” Annan said.
The authoritarian rulers are an image problem for the AU, formed two years ago to replace the largely ineffectual Organisation of African Unity with a mandate to push for good governance and squarely confront Africa’s challenges.
Africa’s home-grown economic rescue plan, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), is also promoting governance reform and has set up a peer review mechanism under which African leaders are due to be rated on everything from bureaucratic transparency to civil rights.
Mozambique’s Chissano, the outgoing AU president, urged his fellow leaders to heed Annan’s advice and noted that he himself was stepping down and would be replaced in democratic elections later this year.
“Some of us felt that he was pointing with his finger to those of us who are not following the correct direction,” Chissano told the summit after Annan’s speech, saying Africa’s stubborn strongmen could face more tough talk in future.
“We want to point the finger at each other, to help each other do better,” he said.
– At Addis Ababa, Reuters
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan chided Africa’s leaders yesterday, saying that while the continent was making progress with democracy, too many of them were using constitutional gimmicks and political repression to cling to power.
“Let us pledge that the days of indefinite one-man or one-party state are behind us,” Annan told the annual summit of the African Union. “There is no truer wisdom, and no clearer mark of statesmanship, than knowing when to pass the torch to a new generation.”
Annan’s audience in Addis Ababa included Zimbabwe’s 80-year-old President Robert Mugabe — in power since 1980 and accused by the opposition of an increasingly oppressive crackdown — and Swaziland’s King Mswati II, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch who has waved away calls for direct democracy in his small kingdom.
Mswati, for one, did not applaud Annan’s remarks on democracy.
Annan said more African countries than ever were holding multi-party elections, while others were looking at constitutional reforms to deepen popular representation.
But problems remain, particularly with governments that try to influence the courts, muzzle the media and clamp down on real political opposition, he added.
“Politics must be inclusive, and a careful institutional balance must be preserved — including regular free and fair elections, a credible opposition whose role is respected, an independent judiciary which upholds the rule of law (and) a free and independent press,” Annan said.
“Democracy is not perfect, and democratisation is not easy. But the more accountable governments are, the more likely they are to be responsive to the needs of their people.”
While the AU is now dominated by democratically elected leaders such as South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki, Mozambique’s Joaquim Chissano and Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo, it still counts a raft of old-school rulers among its members.
Togo’s President Gnassingbe Eyadema is the continent’s longest serving head of state, holding power in the small West African country since he seized power in a coup in 1967. Libya’s Moammar Gaddafi — who is skipping the AU summit this year — has been in power since 1969.
Gabon’s President Omar Bongo, also in power since 1967, changed the constitution to remove any limits on presidential terms in office, a move also attempted by a number of other African presidents, and criticized by Annan on Tuesday.
“Let us always remember that constitutions are for the long term benefit of society, not the short-term goals of the ruler,” Annan said.
The authoritarian rulers are an image problem for the AU, formed two years ago to replace the largely ineffectual Organisation of African Unity with a mandate to push for good governance and squarely confront Africa’s challenges.
Africa’s home-grown economic rescue plan, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), is also promoting governance reform and has set up a peer review mechanism under which African leaders are due to be rated on everything from bureaucratic transparency to civil rights.
Mozambique’s Chissano, the outgoing AU president, urged his fellow leaders to heed Annan’s advice and noted that he himself was stepping down and would be replaced in democratic elections later this year.
“Some of us felt that he was pointing with his finger to those of us who are not following the correct direction,” Chissano told the summit after Annan’s speech, saying Africa’s stubborn strongmen could face more tough talk in future.
“We want to point the finger at each other, to help each other do better,” he said.
– At Addis Ababa, Reuters
publicado por MP às 13:43
