‘World should stop election losers from ruling’
By Godfrey Mtimba in Belgium
Saturday, 09 July 2011 13:58
BRUSSELS – Joint African Pacific Caribbean and European Union (ACP-EU)
Parliament co-president David Matongo says the world should stop election
losers from refusing to leave office and seeking comfort in coalition
governments.
Matongo, a Zambian, gave President Robert Mugabe as an example of one such
leader.
Addressing delegates at the 26th ACP-EU social and economic meeting here,
Matongo described Zimbabwe’s shaky coalition government as “unacceptable and
undemocratic”.
He said it was worrying that election losers were rejecting results and
using violence to force the formation of “useless and unworkable” coalition
governments.
He spoke as Mugabe and coalition partner Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
both concurred that their dysfunctional relationship was affecting the
economy.
“As the ACP-EU joint parliament president let me clearly state that we do
not support unity governments after someone loses elections.
If you lose elections get out. We want democracy and respect of the will of
the people in Africa,” said Matongo.
Matongo accused coalition governments of forcing people to legitimise
despots whose term of office would have been ended by the electorate.
He said the whole phenomenon was derailing the democratisation of the
African continent.
“At this juncture in time allow me dear colleagues to point out that
governments of national unity crafted hurriedly after disputed elections are
unacceptable and undemocratic for they tend to entrench despots whose era
and tenure of office ought to have come to an end.
This creates a deficit in the democracy we all yearn for in Africa,” he
added.
Matongo, who is MP for Pemba constituency in Zambia, expressed dismay at
Mugabe whom he accused of rejecting the people’s will.
He said Mugabe was promoting chaos in Africa because other leaders ended up
imitating him, giving the Ivory Coast crisis as a recent point in case.
“Such presidents like Mugabe who refuse to hand over power and form
coalition governments are a bad influence to other African leaders.
The recent case of Ivory Coast remind us of how bad those people who want to
cling on to power at all cost regardless of the impact on their people’s
lives and especially after they lost lections are.
The leader also wanted a coalition government just like in Zimbabwe and
Kenya,” he said.
Matongo urged the ACP and EU countries to withdraw support to the countries
with coalition governments as a way of pushing African leaders to move
towards democracy and do away with dictators whose continued stay in power
was contributing to Africa’s underdevelopment.
“These governments should not get support from ACP-EU and other
organisations because we will be supporting the continued stay of dictators
and tyrants who oppress people and slow down development in the continent.
Africa needs new young leaders who will bring fresh ideas and energy and
vitality in the continent,” Matongo said.