Editorial of the DAILY NATION: Eyadema a shame to Africa
  Tuesday, January 1, 2003
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Judging from what has just happened in the tiny Western African state of Togo, we, Kenyans, should count ourselves lucky.

A day after President Moi gracefully handed over the instruments of power to opposition leader Mwai Kibaki in an epoch-making ceremony, Togo Strong Man Gnassingbe Eyadema forced through a constitutional amendment to allow him to rule for life.

The irony is that Mr Eyadema is already Africa's longest-serving ruler (35 years), having staged a coup back in 1967 and stolen an election in 1998 by abruptly cancelling a ballot count that did not favour him.

Yesterday's amendment, made solely by members of his party after the opposition boycotted elections in October - citing blatant rigging - means he is one of the few remaining political dinosaurs on the continent.

The others are Libya's Muammar Gaddafi and Gabon's Omar Bongo. But at least, these two do not even go through the pretence of holding democratic elections.

What Mr Eyadema has done has pushed Africa back to a bygone era when life presidencies were the norm. It is time the rest of the continent actively discouraged this trend. For it nurtures megalomaniacs.

There are many ways in which Africa can do this. African countries are integrating fast economically, and their leaders can easily shut the door on the likes of Eyadema.

And so, as we, in Kenya, bask in the euphoria induced by a successful election in which the majority's will prevailed, let us pay credit to Moi who could have caused trouble but instead agreed to retire in defeat.

Let us, at the same time, spare a thought for those fellow Africans who are unable to free themselves from the shackles of dictatorship.


 


 
 
 
www.togo-confidentiel.com
 
     
     
  The irony is that Mr Eyadema is already Africa's longest-serving ruler (35 years), having staged a coup back in 1967 and stolen an election in 1998 by abruptly cancelling a ballot count that did not favour him.  
     
     
     
  What Mr Eyadema has done has pushed Africa back to a bygone era when life presidencies were the norm.  
     
     
     
  It is time the rest of the continent actively discouraged this trend. For it nurtures megalomaniacs.  
     
     
     
     
 
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