Accra, Dec. 16. GNA - The former Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU), Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, has paid tribute to Ghanaians for a peaceful and orderly election.

He was speaking at a luncheon organised in his honour by the Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers' Association (PAWA), Prof. Atukwei Okai, in Accra at the weekend Friday. Dr. Salim, who was in the country as the chairman of the African Union Observer Mission, during the first round of elections observed that the peaceful manner in which Ghanaians went to the polls underscored the fact that the African had the capacity to achieve the desirable and the positive as well as everything that was in the interest of the development of the African continent.

A statement by PANA said Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, who is the Chairman of the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Foundation, said that he was amazed by the "unshakable patience of the Ghanaian people" as exhibited by the peaceful manner in which they went about casting their votes, considering the almost eternally long queues which showed no signs of diminishing even as the day wore on.

Dr. Salim said this Ghanaian achievement, an African achievement, was both an inspiration and a source of pride. He was hopeful that the second round of elections would be equally peaceful. The PAWA Secretary-General, who was joined at the discussions by Mr Lakhal Benkelai, the Algerian Ambassador and Mr. Ato Cham Uriat, the Ethiopian Ambassador, expressed the appreciation of the Association to the AU, especially to Dr. Salim, who, during his tenure of office, provided support to PAWA in various ways.

The Secretary-General briefed Dr. Salim on the activities of the Association and on its most recent programme, the 16th International African Writers' Day, which was instituted by the OAU during his tenure.

This annual celebration is to afford the African society a moment of pause, during which the African people would signal their appreciation of the contribution of African writers to the continent's advancement.