| Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance adopted by African Union (AU) |
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AWEPA welcomes the adoption of the Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, that took place at the African Union Heads of State and Government Summit in Addis Ababa, 29-30 January 2007. This Charter can be seen as another building stone in the democratic process in Africa, as it seeks to entrench a political culture of change of power through the holding of free, regular, fair and transparent elections. Political party pluralism and free elections are essential for democracy. The Charter underlines this by outlining the principles of the role, rights and responsibilities of political parties, including opposition parties. In addition, the member states of the AU that have acceeded to the Charter, commit themselves to establishing and strengthening independent and impartial national electoral bodies responsible for the management of elections and to ensure that there is a binding code of conduct during and after the election period. It is now up to the states to ratify the Charter and parliaments can play a crucial role in this. After the ratification, parliaments have to investigate how the Charter can be incorporated into national law. AWEPA will assist parliaments in effectuating their role in relation to the Charter.
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Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance