Ghana's New Leader Urges Respect for Democracy in Africa

Stephanie FINDLAY, AFP

"I believe that those who are going against the idea of competitive politics, electoral politics, are fighting the tide of history in West Africa and in the general African region," the winner of Ghana's presidential election Akufo-Addo told AFP (AFP Photo/Pius Utomi Ekpei)

Accra, Ghana (AFP) - The winner of Ghana's presidential election Nana Akufo-Addo on Saturday warned that African leaders who reject democracy were "fighting the tide of history", following his nation's high-stakes vote.

Defying predictions that the presidential race would be neck-and-neck, Akufo-Addo sailed to victory on a wave of anger over a sputtering economy, winning 53.8 percent of Wednesday's vote over incumbent John Mahama.

And fears of widespread violence and concerns over the independence of Ghana's electoral commission never materialised, cementing the West African country's reputation as a beacon of democracy in a region plagued by dictators and coups.

"I believe that those who are going against the idea of competitive politics, electoral politics, are fighting the tide of history in West Africa and in the general African region," Akufo-Addo told AFP in an interview at his modest house in the capital of Accra.

While praising the "consolidation of democracy" in Ivory Coast and Nigeria, Akufo-Addo hit out at leaders clinging to power.

"What is taking place in The Gambia is unfortunate," Akufo-Addo said, referring to longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh who had conceded defeat in last week's election but did a dramatic -- and unexpected -- U-turn on Friday, saying he would challenge the results.

It's a shame Jammeh cannot put his country's future above his own. It is a big step backward for Gambia. Let us pray Mahama will step down gracefully as Jammeh did originally.

"Our people appreciate and understand and are happy with the values of democracy," said the 72-year-old human rights lawyer, wearing a white collared shirt and his trademark round-rimmed glasses, which he buys in New York.

On the shelves in his home office is a white sculpture of an elephant -- the symbol of his New Patriotic Party (NPP) -- along with books ranging in topics from former British prime minister Tony Blair to Pentecostal exorcism.

In his victory speech, Akufo-Addo said the win was the most "humbling moment in my life" and pledged to put Ghana "back on the path of progress and prosperity."

- 'Get Ghana working again' -

An apparent collapse of support in the battleground central region of Ghana seemed to have doomed Mahama's ruling New Democratic Congress (NDC) party, which lost with 44.4 percent of vote.

During the heated campaign, Mahama had criss-crossed the country inaugurating splashy infrastructure projects, earning the nickname "general commissioner" for the number of ribbon-cutting ceremonies he attended.

But soaring debt, high inflation and a weak cedi currency were ultimately too much to swallow for the frustrated electorate.

In 2015, Mahama was forced to go to the International Monetary Fund for a $918 million bailout.

This year Ghana grew at its slowest pace -- around 3.3 percent -- in over two decades.

Akufo-Addo had promised to act quickly to stop a "borrowing binge" that "mortgaged our future".

Underscoring his commitment to the economy and creating jobs, he appointed Mahamudu Bawumia, a former deputy governor of the Bank of Ghana to be his running mate.

Describing the economic climate as a "difficult situation," Akufo-Addo admitted "there is a hanging debt of considerable proportions."

In his election manifesto, he laid out a plan to restore economic stability and encourage investment by slashing the corporate tax rate and abolishing taxes on everything from real estate sales to domestic flight tickets.

"The measures that can stimulate agricultural production, the measures that can stimulate industrial activity and manufacturing, this is the main focus," Akufo-Addo said, promising to "get Ghana working again."

- 'Joyous moment' -

Ghanaians seem thrilled to give him the chance.

Outside his house, hundreds of supporters were still celebrating his election in the streets, blowing horns and dancing.

For many, Akufo-Addo's victory validates Ghana's democracy.

"It's a joyous moment," said Daniel Ofori, 28, who was wearing a big red, white and blue NPP flag as a cape.

"It's been happy for us because our democracy is growing and is maturing," Ofori said.

"This has been the most free and fair election in our country."

Justin Trudeau’s UN Address was a Meaningless Speech to a Worthless Body

Rex Murphy: Telling it like it is

    Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesPrime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses the United Nations General
    Assembly at UN headquarters, Sept. 20, 2016 in New York City.

Given the chance to address, say, the local numismatics society, or even the rotary club, the wise citizen would gladly choose either of these over the opportunity to speak in front of the ill-named United Nations. The stamp collectors and the Rotarians at least have the virtue of being what they say they are, and when they offer the podium to an outsider, they do so with the honest belief that the speaker will have something interesting or useful to say, and that he or she will actually be listened to.

The United Nations, on the other hand, though it is nothing if not diverse (dictators and kleptocrats rub shoulders with democratic presidents and prime ministers), it is so crosshatched with rivalries, intrigue, devious diplomacy and hypocritical posturing, that to speak of it as “united” is a contradiction in terms.

Consider its Human Rights Council, on which some of the most gruesome theocracies and grinding dictatorships on our tormented planet have held sway, thus undermining the supposed reason for its existence. Once in a while, the body does manage to come to an agreement, but only when its members unite to condemn the state of Israel (the detestation of Israel being something of a ground bass for UN sanctimony).

When the UN, with its posturing and deal-making, is not actively making things worse, or turning a blind eye to atrocities, it does have moments of pure play-acting and harmless diversion. At such moments, it takes on the atmosphere, minus the dignity, of the Ted Talks. These usually coincide with visits from the leaders of the world’s democracies. It is a favoured venue of U.S. President Barack Obama, for example.

Obama favours this meretricious chamber because it allows him to smugly lecture the rest of the world on being on the “right side of history” and the “moral arc” of our times. Meanwhile, the ravages in Syria continue unabated and North Korea, under its sovereign tyrant, Kim Jong-un, continues ramping up its nuclear program. The truly wretched of the Earth grow more wretched and the world, as they say, marches on.

This week, it was our dewy-fresh prime minister’s turn to address this esteemed body and, either out of vanity or innocence, he didn’t turn down the invitation. As to the substance of his effusion, one would need an intellectual Geiger counter to find any. The speech was described by the National Post’s John Ivison as “thin as soup made from the carcass of a starving pigeon.” And that’s being generous.

The address easily could have been passed off as a high-school valedictorian speech: it was trite, without being testy, and full of false equivalencies. It bore the now-ineluctable stamp of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s compulsion to hymn, yet again, the all-ranging virtues of diversity.

Fluffing a pillow in front of the UN delegates

would have had more of an impact

This word “diversity” has something of a clamp on Trudeau’s brain. He seems to think that merely to pronounce it out loud is to add to the sum of human insight, that its four flat syllables compress all the wisdom of the Sermon on the Mount, Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address and the best of Norman Vincent Peale into one handy little word. Yet fluffing a pillow in front of the UN delegates would have had more of an impact.

It’s a pity that, even in that forlorn venue, Trudeau was unwilling to let go of that rhetorical Linus blanket and say a few things about what is really going on in the world. He could have offered some meaningful analysis on the situation in Syria. He could have uttered some truths to those who rarely hear them. Instead, it was the usual mush about “modest Canada” and how we’re back and ready to help.

It really is time to stop bragging about how modest we are, as one cannot honestly brag about being modest. And besides, it’s unseemly. Let other countries pay testimony to our worth if they are so moved to do so. And as for diversity, yes it is a fine virtue as far as virtues go, but so are unity, coherence, national identity, fiscal competence and the rule of law. Saying the word “diversity” is not like waving a magic wand that somehow rids us of all tribulation and want. Nor is it, by any test, the only metric for a healthy and admirable society.

But it was a UN session, and perhaps it is understood that to scatter anything but clichés and self-congratulations before that august convocation would be a breach of its worthless protocols.

National Post