Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia says conducting free, fair and transparent elections in Africa is the panacea to sustaining the continent’s peace and political stability.
He therefore called on African leaders and governments to work towards citizen empowerment through education, quality healthcare for general well-being, promotion of free enterprise and individual liberties, digitalization for transparent and efficient governance and closer cooperation.
The Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party made these remarks at the opening ceremony of The Democratic Union Forum, held at the Fiesta Royale Hotel in Accra.
The high-level meeting under the theme, “Strengthening Democratic Institutions for Political Stability: crafting Africa’s Response,” brought together all-inclusive participants in Africa and beyond.
He entreated the stakeholders to renew a collective commitment to strengthening African democratic governance.
The Co-chairman of the Democrat Union of Africa (DUA), Ghana’s Louisa Atta-Agyemang (Mrs.) for her part bemoaned the escalating pattern of toppling democratically elected governments in sub-Saharan Africa and described the re-emergence of military coups, especially in West Africa, as intolerable and called for concerted efforts to stop them.
She implored African leaders to create more opportunities that will embolden the youth to zealously safeguard the continent’s development.
The Co-Chairperson used the occasion to espouse Vice President Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s unassuming nature and described him as a source of inspiration to the African youth.
A former Canadian Minister of Industry (in charge of Digitalisation, Science and Technology) and President of the Treasury Board, Canada, Hon. Tony Peter Clement used the occasion to recommend to developing nations to adopt Ghana’s ambitious digitalisation agenda. According to him, the Government of Ghana has succeeded in using the digital revolution, ensuring accountability and transparency in all sectors of the local economy.
Participants at the forum were the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in Uganda, the Inkatha Freedom Party in South Africa, Unity Party in Liberia, PDCI-RDA in Ivory Coast, Popular Democratic Movement in Namibia, The Third Republic Party in Tunisia, The Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM) in Mozambique, Kenya African National Union in Kenya, RENAMO in Mozambique, Forces Démocratiques Pour LaRépublique (FDR) in Togo, People’s Movement For Democratic Change (PMDC) in Sierra Leone, Peoples Democratic Party in Nigeria, the National Grand Coalition Party in Sierra Leone, UNITA in Angola, CHADEMA in Tanzania, the Istiqlal Party in Morocco, Malawi Congress Party in Malawi, the ACDP in South Africa, the Democratic Party in Uganda, and Unión de Centro Derecha (UCD) in Equatorial Guinea.
