| Accra News |
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| Written by editor |
| Wednesday, 30 September 2009 07:53 |
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Reflections on Democracy, Good Governance and Elections in West Africa On 17-18th September 2009, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) brought together over 40 civil society activist, leading scholars, parliamentarians, journalists and official representation from the ECOWAS from across the West African region to a 2-day workshop on “Popularisation, Ratification and Implementation of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and the African Union Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance”. The workshop held at the Ange Hill Hotel, Accra, Ghana The workshop provided the participants the forum to reflect on the status of ratification and use of these two key instruments in promoting democratic development in individual states as well as in the region in general. The workshop was convened to discuss strategies to get the ECOWAS protocol which has been ratified by 10 out of the 15 member states to be fully ratified; to disseminate the provisions of the protocol widely and to advocate for its implementation in the region. As for the African Union charter; the workshop discussed why this very important instrument has remained un-ratified by all (except by Somalia and Mauritania). The workshop aimed to develop an action plan that will secure for the charter sufficient ratification to come into force. The workshop featured a keynote address by Prof. Ade Adefuye of the ECOWAS Commission and featured insightful paper presentations like “The Protocol: the Paradox of Revolutionary Democratic Design and Democratic Regression in West Africa” by Professor Ismaila Fall; “The Charter: Good Intentions and lack of Political Will” by Prof. Augustin Loada.; “The Utilisation of International Instruments in Democracy Building” by Prof Paul Okojie and “West African Women, the Charter and the Protocol” by Linda Darkwa. These presentations helped set the tone for series of discussions and interventions. The workshop also featured a roundtable on “Good and Bad Examples of Democracy Building” in the region and gauged the state of democracy in the region. It emerged strongly that there is a noticeable regression of democracy across the region. This was said to be evidenced by the return of military rule, the rampant electoral fraud; intimidation of the opposition and the bullying of the media. These are some of the trends the two instruments sought to avoid. Participants rose from the workshop agreeing to a communiqué which called for the restoration of constitutionalism in Niger and in Guinea. They also called on leaders to ratify and implement the two instruments. Participants also agreed to a plan of action, which would outline the strategy for advocacy towards the full ratification of the ECOWAS protocol and secure sufficient ratifications to bring the AU charter into force. This advocacy would be targeted at 6 focal countries across West Africa. The general opinion of Participants at the end of the workshop was that it had been insightful and important. |
| Last Updated on Monday, 09 November 2009 15:15 |