Human Rights Writers Association of (HURIWA), has said that military coups in West Africa have clearly shown that the Economic community of West African States (ECOWAS) has failed and therefore needs fundamental tinkering in order to play its role to defend democracy.
This was as HURIWA declared that badly organised and manipulation of elections is not so much better than military overthrow of government, stressing that removing political dynasties as has been achieved in Gabon was justifiable since in the first instance, democracy was absent.
HURIWA however, asked the military junta in Gabon to speedily midwife a transparent, free and fair transition to civilian democracy.
The Rights particularly accused ECOWAS of failing to ensure that elections in its member states are not manipulated by incumbents thus, making room for the sabotaging of democracy and eventual military coups.
The right group therefore said that rather than sanction Gabon, ECOWAS should have a rethink and set up a think tank to modify her ground rules to classify rigged or manipulated Presidential election as a coup.
These were contained in a statement by the National Coordinator of HURIWA, comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko saying that the group is of the conviction that the government that has just been removed in Gabon cannot possibly be classified as a constitutional democracy.
It said that it was inconceivable that just one family will continue to govern Gabon for over four decades and then keep sustaining the governance fraud through contraptions defined by them as routine elections.
HURIWA further said; “Elections that are devoid of opportunity for the electorate to freely exercise their democratic franchise and then for the true outcome of the free, fair and transparent electoral process allowed to reach its full course can’t possibly be classified as a democracy.
“For that, we endorse the displacement of this long standing political dynasty in Gabon. We support this removal of the Bongo dynasty but, we also want the military to set up a short transition programme of not more than 6 months to organise free, fair and transparent poll to restore full constitutional government,” it said.
HURIWA noted that Army officers appeared on national television in Gabon and declared that they have taken power and also said that they annulled the results of Saturday’s election in which President Ali Bongo was declared the winner.
It noted that the discredited electoral commission said Mr Bongo had won just under two-thirds of the votes in an election the opposition argued was fraudulent.
HURIWA said it was heart warming that the overthrow of Bongo would end his family’s 53-year hold on power in Gabon, adding that Gabon is one of Africa’s major oil producers, while nearly 90% of the country is covered by forests but poverty is at its highest peak due to corruption and lack of good governance.
HURIWA therefore asked ECOWAS and the African Union to look inwards and introduce steps to immediately recognise disputed and manipulated, fraudulent Presidential elections in member States should be classified as coup and therefore military interventions of ECOWAS and AU is required to restore orderliness and constitutional order.
It said that as long as this was not done and the continental and sub-regional bodies continuously to look the other way as General Elections in member states are fraudulently stolen by incumbents, military coups will sooner, than later become very popular which is totally uncalled for and must be avoided.
