Democracy in West Africa is in danger, warns President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the 2nd Ecowas Parliamentary Seminar at Winneba in the Central Region.
The President stated that there are three serious threats to democracy within the region.
The first threat is the “attempted confiscation of democracy by elites” who manipulate constitutional rules to remain in power. The second is the “emerging re-militarisation of governance” with the intrusion of the military on the political scene without the people’s mandate.
The final threat is the “wanton desire to destroy democracy by terrorist groups and armed criminal gangs” who seek to establish zones of lawlessness and the absence of freedom.
President Akufo-Addo emphasized the importance of entrenching the principles of democratic accountability in the citizenry.
He therefore called upon members of the Parliament of ECOWAS to find solutions to these threats.
He advised against the extension of presidential term limits, as these tend to create discontent amongst the populace, creating fertile grounds on which military interventions can feed.
The President concluded by stressing that the purpose of democratic governance is to achieve free government, shared prosperity and progress, equitable and accessible justice, and lasting peace. He called for distinctions between legality and legitimacy since the region would only experience genuine stability if its powers are imbued with both.
By Vincent Kubi