Rawlings calls for all inclusive governance in Africa

Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings, has called for an end to the ‘winner takes all mentality’ within governments, emphasizing that, for the sake of the betterment of the people, there is need for all inclusiveness in government.

“The winner takes all mentality that we have inherited from the Westminster and other systems of western democracy has led to the overt rejection of the concept of power sharing or the involvement of other party members in a government of inclusion, even when it is clearly in the national interest so to do,” Rawlings lamented.

Ex-President Rawlings who a western intelligence report seen by the Enquirer, said is one of the least corrupt leaders on the African continent, made this call during a public lecture in Nigeria last week.

He emphasized that the most current of leadership failures on the African continent is the manipulation of election results, described variously as rigged or sham elections as witnessed in countries like Kenya, Togo and Nigeria, adding that democracy is not only the observance of certain norms and traditions, but the upholding of the integrity of the electoral process itself.

"Some of those very politicians who gained leadership positions as a result of the strict adherence to the norms of democracy are now, and at the end of their tenures, the very people trying to corrupt the democratic system of governance because of a selfish lust for power and money. And so, we see emerging a serious challenge to the meticulous adherence to constitutionalism. "

Ex-President Rawlings continued that "they are busy attempting to prolong their stay in power through fair or foul means, to modify, sometimes crudely, multiparty democracy into a virtual one-party state, to arrogantly abuse the concept of the separation of powers, to ignore the rule of law, to undermine judicial independence, to interfere with the fundamental human rights of political opponents especially, and to capriciously use decentralization to promote parochial or sectarian interests."

According to him, inseparable collateral damage to the respect of the electoral process is the assurance of a peaceful and constitutional transition from one government to another.

"As a leader whose political party has tasted defeats in the polls before, I can say that there should be no need to tamper with the rotational principle in good governance.

"However, evidence abound that the overwhelming ambition of some political leaders makes the acceptance of election results rather difficult and has led some African leaders committing electoral crimes and the refusal to adhere to the peaceful and smooth change-over of government.”

Mr Rawlings said such deviant political behaviour, more often than not, is prompted and encouraged by certain outside powers, who, for their own selfish national interest, prefer one African leader to another.

He suggested a tightening of the judiciary and anti-corruption units of governments the development a system that would hold the leadership of governments without fear or favour.