Members of Parliament are worried about what they consider as the re-emergence of coup d’etats on the African continent and West Africa in particular.
According to the lawmakers, the situation, if not curbed, could derail the democratic progress the sub-region had made over the past six decades.
To them, there can’t be justification for any military take-overs irrespective of what might have occasioned same.
The concern of the lawmakers followed a statement made by the North Tongu MP, Samuel OkudzetoAblakwa, following a foiled military take-over in Guinea Bissau on Tuesday.
The attempted coup in Bissau, the capital of the West African country, comes on the back of a coup in Ghana’s northern neighbour, Burkina Faso, some two weeks ago.
Currently in West Africa, countries like Guinea Conakry and Mali are under military rule with attempted military take-over in Niger thwarted.
In the last couple of years, coups have either been successful or averted in Sudan, Burundi, Zimbabwe and at least 30 attempts in Africa since 2010.
In the statement, MrAblakwa who is also the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House said the trend was worrying.
He said West Africa had become notorious for coups since countries on the continent started gaining independence and such reprehensible record must not be encouraged.
“So far Mr Speaker, it seems that apart from Cape Verde, every single country in West Africa has experienced a coup,” he said indicating that “there has been false sense of transition to stable democratic order in the sub-region.”
The Member for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea, commenting on the statement said reasons cited by coupists including corruption, nepotism, under performance, amongst others to justify their actions should not be entertained.
In MrAkyea’s view, the continent and the sub-region was yet to appreciate how democracy works and that it remained the best form of governance.
“We need to deepen our democratic ethos. We need to let people understand that it is only democracy and the rule via the ballot box which has the future for any people [because] coup d’etats are recipe for lawlessness because there is no Parliament to check the executive governmentconstituted by the junta,” he said and called on stakeholders in the democratic space to do well to reverse the trend.
Member for Bawku Central, MahamaAyariga, on his part identified security leadership as the major cause of democratic failures on the continent.
He called on continental bodies not to only be interested in free and fair elections but what the winners of those contests use the power for upon their election.
Other Members who contributed to the statement included Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP, Frank Annoh-Dompreh;Wa West legislator, Trobu lawmaker, Moses Anim; and Tamale Central Member, Murtala Mohammed, all condemned the trend and urged that same was curtailed.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
