Français

The political situation in Black Africa is currently in a critical phase. Democracy, as we all wish so much for, is unfortunately in retreat in some sub-Saharan African countries. At present, we are witnessing an epidemic of revisions of constitutions to allow certain presidents to remain in power. Whereas the fundamental law, the Constitution, at the time these presidents were sworn in, prohibited them from serving more than two(2) terms. The trick was for these presidents to supposedly introduce novelties in order to have a zero counter. And to run for power ad vitam aeternam. We have seen cases where the Constitution has been revised only for the duration of the term of office. This has allowed the holder of the supreme office to run n times. And when the fateful date arrived to leave with his head held high, the well-known song was started to say that the saviour, the messiah, the providential man had not finished his work. The constitutions were cut up again, reducing or increasing the term of office. Under other skies, the trick was to demand that the presidential election should no longer be by direct universal suffrage but that the elected representatives of the Nation (deputies and senators) should elect the President of the Republic. Without forgetting the fallacious use of teleguided referendums to proclaim to anyone who wants to hear it that it is the sovereign people who have made their decision. We are all familiar with all these practices, which are from another age. Democracy in Africa needs to prepare cadres to assume the most prestigious functions with a minimum of transparency and clarity. In the decades that we have been talking about democracy, what real progress has been made? Have we already forgotten those ballot box stuffings and proclaimed scores that at the time were said to have been Soviet-style with the winner taking 90% or more and still high turnout rates when barely a good quarter of those on the electoral rolls had fulfilled their duty to vote. The consequences of the so-called confiscated and gagged democracy are plunging Black Africa into a political impasse with incalculable consequences in the short, medium and long term. As the petition is recognised by the constitutions, we therefore want, through this petition, to take initiatives in order to put an end to this haemorrhage of evil mandates too many. The voices of those who will sign this petition will reflect the vox populi or voice of the African people who clearly refuse these shenanigans in order to remain in power. Thus, the petition aims at :

 1°) To request the African Union to take a resolution to clearly prohibit exceeding the number of terms of office by revising the constitution. More specifically, as it did for the ban on the coup d'état, that it take a resolution to limit the number of mandates to a maximum of two (2).

2°) To declare ineligible for life, any person who contravenes this law.

3°) To solemnly proclaim that any revision of the Constitution with the aim of maintaining a President in power outside the fundamental text, in particular the initial term of office is unconstitutional.

 4°) To write in black and white, in marble, that any constitutional revision concerning the duration of the term of office, even if it is voted on, including by referendum, and whatever the score, as well as the transparency of the vote, will never benefit the person who initiated this revision. And therefore that this revision, even if it is through a change in the Constitution, once it affects the length of the mandate or all aspects that allow the counter to be reset to zero in order to be able to stand for election, the President of the Republic at the time of the revision will never be able to benefit from the effects of this revision in any way....

 5°) That all revisions concerning the term of office in presidential elections as well as in legislative elections be made on the basis of a genuine consensus both of the political class of all tendencies and of the other representative entities of the Society. To this end, a Framework Agreement will be signed by all the parties to provide a framework for the revision.

6°) That by common agreement, after consultation with the grassroots from the villages to the cities, all the socio-professional categories decide on a minimum length of time so as not to have to touch the articles of the Constitution concerning the length and number of terms of office. For example, a duration of one generation or twenty-five (25) years. By enshrining this in the Constitution, we will avoid many temptations to change our constitutions in order to stay in power.

 7°) That the African Union commission a prospective study on democratic issues in Africa through a very large pan-African survey. The survey should be entrusted to African polling institutes. The surveys will take into account the opinions of all categories from villages to cities as well as the diasporas so that there is no exclusion. This prospective study could become biannual or tri-annual and be the subject of a Report on the State of Democracy in Black Africa. Human rights organisations and civil society organisations should be involved.

Call on you to sign this petition so that we allow Democracy in Black Africa to take root.

Hassane BAADHIO

African Writer [BURKINA -FASO].