President of Ghana and Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nana Akufo-Addo, has reminded ECOWAS leaders that happenings in the sub-region indicates that not everybody accepts that democracy is the preferred mode of governance stressing that ECOWAS needs to work hard to convince such people that we are all safer under democracy.
According to him, the resurgence of coup d’etats in the sub-region is in direct violation of democratic tenets and represents threat to peace, security and stability in West Africa.
President Akufo-Addo was giving opening remarks at an Emergency Virtual ECOWAS meeting to deliberate on the military takeover in Burkina Faso.
He stated that the situation hinders socio-economic development in the region.
President Akufo-Addo mentioned that ECOWAS supplementary protocol democracy and good governance principles adopted in 2001 provides that (a) any ascension to power must be through free, fair and transparent elections; (b) unconstitutional change is prohibited as well as any undemocratic method of gaining or retaining power and (c) zero tolerance for power obtained or maintained by unconstitutional means.
The Armed Forces according to the protocol, must be non-political and must be under the command of legally constituted political authority and that no serving member of the Armed Forces may seek to run for elected political office.
The ECOWAS Chairman, therefore, said West African leaders should not renege on their duties and obligations to ensure peaceful democratic, just, stable and prosperous community.
He also charged them to examine critically the rising phenomenon in the region so that they take the necessary decisions that will meet the aspirations of their people.