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President Mills joins colleagues at
ECOWAS Summit
From Benjamin Mensah, GNA Special Correspondent, Abuja,
Nigeria
Abuja, Jan. 11, GNA – President John Evans Atta Mills was on
Saturday in Abuja warmly welcomed into the fold of Heads of
State of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
by its Chairman, President Umar Yar'Adua of Nigeria.
President Yar’Adua congratulated the Government and people
of Ghana for the exemplary manner in which they conducted
the recent general election.
President Prof. Mills together with his colleagues later
expressed deep concern at the resurgence of military coups
in Africa, considering it as a very serious setback in
efforts to strengthen the democratisation process on the
Continent.
They condemned particularly the coup in Guinea last
December, and suspended that county from all meetings of the
ECOWAS at Heads of State and Ministerial levels, until the
time constitutional order would be restored in that country.
These were contained in a communiqué read at a press
conference after a close-door meeting at the end
extraordinary summit of ECOWAS Heads of State and
Governments in Abuja, Nigeria.
The Leaders called for more effective measures at regional
and continental levels, including the early ratification and
implementation of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Good
Governance and the African Union (AU) Charter on Democracy
and Governance by ECOWAS Member States, which had not yet
done so.
Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, President of the ECOWAS Commission,
read the communiqué, which reiterated the principled
position of ECOWAS against unconstitutional accession to or
the maintenance of power.
The Leaders also demanded from the Conseil National pour la
Democratie et le Developpement (CNDD), which ousted the
Government of late Guinean President Lanssana Conte last
year, to take immediate steps to restore constitutional
order in Guinea, the Conseil having already committed itself
to conclude the transition in 2009 by organising a credible,
free fair and transparent elections.
The Heads of State noted that the CNDD was already making
efforts to return the country to a constitutional rule
through the establishment of a National Transitional Council
which was composed of civilians and the military with
legislative powers, and reassured the Guinean Stakeholders
of their support.
Members of the CNDD, the Transitional Team Prime Minister
and Members of his Government have also pledged not to
contest the elections to be organised later this year.
To facilitate the restoration of constitutional order in
Guinea, the Authority agreed to maintain a permanent and
constructive dialogue with all actors to implement a quick
organisation of elections and transfer of power.
The Summit also drew attention to the need for adequate
funding, and called on international partners especially the
World Bank, International Monetary Fund IMF and the European
Union to continue their financial support for socio-economic
programmes in that country.
The Summit also observed a minute's silence in memory of the
late General Conte, and invited the Guinean Prime Minister
Kabine Komara to make a submission after which he responded
to questions and queries from members of the Authority.
GNA
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