5 March 2007
Johannesburg: The promise of deepening democracy in Africa is expected to
take a leap forward today when the International Conference on Sustaining
Africa's Democratic Momentum starts. Convened by the Electoral Commission of
South Africa (IEC), the African Union (AU) and the International Institute for
Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), the conference, to be held at the
Sandton Convention Centre until Wednesday, 7 March 2007, is expected to bolster
ongoing efforts to improve and enhance democracy, elections and governance in
Africa.
Chairperson of the African Union Commission, His Excellency, Professor Alpha
Oumar Konare, said that the conference afforded the opportunity "to take stock
of how far we have come, to celebrate democracy in Africa, and beyond that, to
try and map out new horizons and new lines of action."
The conference draws together more than 350 scholars, practitioners and
members of civil society from around the world that have come together to
discuss issues of democracy and electoral processes on the African continent
and to share best practices and examine failures. "While Africa can benefit
from global experiences, we must work together to create a uniquely African
solution. The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, which was
adopted by our Heads of States and Governments at their 9th Ordinary Session,
held in Addis Ababa last January, is, for example, an important instrument
which consolidates the commitments made collectively and individually by our
Member States, with a view to promoting democracy and good governance in
Africa."
Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa Dr Brigalia Bam said
the continent of Africa has moved a long way since the 1990s when it came to
embracing values of democracy and governance. "This year will see a number of
initiatives aimed at strengthening democracy across the continent, which
started with elections held in Lesotho and Senegal in February," explained Dr
Bam. "Elections and the execution of the basic precepts of democracy bring
about peace and stability. It is our yearning that the African Continent will
always strive to continue upholding and entrenching the principles of
democracy. We hope that this conference will provide a platform where we will
continue to learn from each other and share some experiences on how to improve
our systems and make our democracy work."
Secretary-General of International IDEA Mr Vidar Helgesen hailed the
conference as an important initiative in the calendar of the African continent
and one that his organisation believes will support necessary initiatives
identified in numerous research activities undertaken by International IDEA.
"Democracy mandates that people have the right to control their government and
that a government is legitimate only if and when it is controlled by the
people. This expression transcends regions, cultures, religions and languages,"
concluded Mr Helgesen.
The International Conference on Sustaining Africa's Democratic Momentum will
also build on the success of the All African Conference on Elections, Democracy
and Governance, held in April 2003 under the theme, 'Democracy, Elections and
Governance: Strengthening African Initiatives,' which adopted a declaration and
a detailed plan of action on strengthening democracy and elections in Africa.
This declaration, along with the conference report, can be accessed on the
conference website http://www.elections.org.za/conference2007.
It was the 2003 declaration and action plan that paved the way for the
development of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and
also, the AU electoral assistance programme.
Delegates to the conference will be enriched by a line-up of distinguished
continental, regional and national policy makers and implementers, members of
academia, civil society, political party networks and development partners who
will discuss the global challenges facing democracy and electoral processes,
the specific challenges facing Africa, and identify lessons which can be
learned from both old and new democracies in an effort to leverage effective
solutions to these democratic challenges, especially in emerging democracies.
In addition, on Wednesday, 7 March 2007, from 08h15 to 09h30, members of the
Forum of Former Heads of State and Government will share their thoughts and
vision in supporting democracy, good governance and human rights on the African
continent.
The conference aims to:
1. Provide useful impetus to ongoing efforts on the African continent,
especially those spearheaded by the African Union Commission to foster
increased commitment among the AU member states to democracy, elections and
governance through instruments such as the African Charter on Democracy,
Elections and Governance, New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and
African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), to mention but a few.
2. Provide an opportunity for Africa to showcase its success stories in the
institutionalisation of democracy, especially in post-conflict contexts and
also for Africa to learn from experiences of other countries and or regions, in
promoting democracy and electoral processes.
3. Interrogate the relevance and viability of the methods, strategies and
approaches employed by the 'champions of democracy' - the international
community supporting democracy building, in seeking to build and strengthen
Africa's democratic experiment.
4. Explore opportunities for strengthening South-South co-operation in the
areas of building strong democracies and electoral processes and beyond sharing
experiences, forge regional partnerships.
The conference will cover issues such as electoral systems, political
parties, participation and democratisation, elections and governance,
re-engineering constitutional frameworks and electoral systems for Africa, the
nexus between democracy and development, supporting democracy and elections
around the globe, direct democracy, and civil society, democracy and
development.
For further information, please visit the conference website at http://www.elections.org.za/conference2007
or contact either of the following persons:
Mosotho Moepya
Conference Spokesperson
Cell: 082 650 8621
E-mail spokesperson@elections.org.za
Claire Grundy
Cell: 082 801 4306
E-mail claire@meta4.co.za
Issued by: Independent Electoral Commission
5 March 2007
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