Business Day (Johannesburg)
November 29, 1999
By John Dludlu
Johannesburg - Deputy President Jacob Zuma has
signalled his intention to lead efforts to turn up the
heat on fellow African leaders who "tend to stray
towards undemocratic methods of governance".
It also emerged yesterday that agreement has been
reached on the controversial clause of good
governance within the Lome Convention - the co-
operation framework between the European Union
(EU) and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)
nations.
Interviewed on Friday, Zuma hinted that
"democratically elected leaders who have tended to
stray towards undemocratic" means of government
should perhaps be excluded from such organisations
as the Organisation for African Unity (OAU). He
emphasised the proposal was his personal view. At
present, it represents neither government's nor SA's
thinking.
Asked to elaborate on what he had in mind when he
spoke of "undemocratic methods of governance",
Zuma mentioned, as an example, moves by some
"democratically elected" leaders to prolong their stay
in power.
In cases in which a country's constitution provided for
a two-term presidency, as in SA's, a democratically
elected leader then launched moves to change the
constitution to allow himself another term. Such
leaders should be isolated, he said, but was reluctant
to give examples.
His remarks, within the context of the concept of
African renaissance, came after this year's decision by
the OAU to exclude military regimes from its ranks,
effective from next year.
The OAU is not the only organisation to ban leaders
who shoot their way into office. The Commonwealth
also adopted a tough stand; military juntas are
suspended from participating in this 54-nation body.
Zuma's comments come amid efforts by the
Commonwealth to intensify its promotion of good
governance. In addition to suspending military
regimes, the Commonwealth is considering proposals
that will enable the Commonwealth ministerial action
group, its conflict resolution mechanism, to intervene in
cases where there is a threat to democracy.
If these measures are adopted, the group will be
empowered to intervene in cases where elections are
being unnecessarily postponed; where there is a
demonstrable pattern of undermining opposition;
and/or where there is the systematic repression of
independent media.
A wider mandate for the group is being looked at by a
high-level Commonwealth presidential group led by
President Thabo Mbeki, the first ever chairman of the
Commonwealth.
Zuma returned from Santo Domingo yesterday where
he attended the second summit of the heads of state
of the ACP.
Agreement has now been reached on the clause of
good governance - a key sticking point on a successor
to Lome. "We believe you can't allow the EU to make
it (good governance) a condition for punishing (ACP)
countries", he said.
In terms of a draft accord, to be firmed up next month,
the ACP's trade preferences in the EU will continue for
eight years.
Copyright (c) 1999 Business Day. Distributed via Africa News
Online (www.africanews.org).
This article located at:
http://www.africanews.org/south/southafrica/stories/19991129/19991129_feat6.html
Commentary - Notes:
Read for what is NOT being stated here!
The article does NOT state what form of government these 'errant' leaders are wanting. Every informed human on the planet should KNOW that democracy failed in its beginning and is little more than mob rule. Republican or constitutional forms of government are the only protection for the people, from governments providing they are abided by.
Why would the OAU have enough clout and power to force such an internal issue within a nation. You can bet, (same in the UN) the delegates to the OAU are NOT democratically elected by the people at large being governed and mandated by the OAU!
Like the UN the OAU is NOT an organization of elected representatives of the people, by the people, and FOR the people. It is an elitist's private corporation, whose only goal is the protections of member governments.
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