Accra — African leaders present for the swearing-in of Ghanas new president, John Agyekum Kufuor, have praised Ghana for its transition, for the first time, from one elected president, Jerry Rawlings, to a constitutional successor.
The guest of honour at the inauguration, Nigerias President Olusegun Obasanjo, hailed Ghana and Ghanaians for reaching this point in their democracy. Addressing assembled dignitaries, the newly sworn-in President Kufuor and his vice president, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, as well as a throng of ordinary Ghanaians at Independence Square in Accra, Obasanjo warned that change did not happen overnight.
"You have to be patient," cautioned the Nigerian leader, adding that tolerance would now be needed to achieve lasting democracy in Ghana. Obasanjo concluded that change had to be nurtured and any democratic process needed consistency and the persistent vigilance of all citizens
Obasanjo was one of four African heads of state at the inauguration. The others were President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, who had to leave after the swearing-in, because Senegal was holding a referendum on Sunday. The other two were President Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo and Burkina Fasos Blaise Compaore.
Obasanjo told Kufuor that, as president, he would have to inspire all Ghanaians with a spirit of patriotism to achieve their goals and that Ghana was a great nation with the potential to become a star in Africa.
In an interview with AllAfrica.com, the deputy president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, who headed a delegation sent by his president Thabo Mbeki said: "We believe that the election and democratic transition were important events, not only for Ghana and the people of Ghana, but certainly for Africa".
Zuma recalled that Ghana was the first black African colony to become independent. "We in South Africa are the last country to gain our independence and we believe that the change of government, in terms of the democratic principles, is an important culture that is coming and rooting itself in Africa".
Speaking to AllAfrica.com, President Compaore said the people of Burkina Faso were happy to see continued democracy in Ghana and, like Zuma, called Ghanas success a great day for Ghana and the continent.
Compaore, Obasanjo and Zuma all congratulated the outgoing and incoming Ghanaian presidents for overseeing a transparent - and largely peaceful - election and handover.
The South African deputy president said it was important that this progress should be supported and that Pretoria and the rest of Africa appreciated the manner in which the outgoing National Democratic Congress party of former President Jerry Rawlings was ready to accept defeat.
Zuma said conceding defeat graciously and promptly, as the NDC candidate and outgoing vice president John Atta Mills did, showed an understanding of democratic rules and norms. Zuma said Ghanas example was a lesson that many countries in Africa should study and that the culture of democratic rule on the continent must be spread more widely.
Asked what he thought should be President Kufuors first regional priority, Zuma said South Africa was not planning to prescribe to Ghanas new leader. But, with chunks of West Africa in turmoil and with conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and most recently across the border of both countries in Guinea, Zuma noted that Africas wars were certainly one of South Africas, and the Africas, main concerns.
"It is a paramount focus and priority, that we should stop conflicts in the continent, because conflict and democracy and development cannot go together," said Zuma. "We need to end all conflicts to allow development and democracy on our continent. We are therefore going to be working together with Ghanas new brother president to ensure that those ideals are indeed achieved."
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The Burkinabe leader acknowledged that Ecowas (the Economic Community of West African States) was faced with a huge problem trying to resolve the various conflicts in a region in turmoil. But Compaore said democratizing West Africa was not easy, especially in a climate of economic crisis. "Its a tough job for young political parties to take on the responsibilities of freedom," said Compaore, "but we must all mobilize all our energies to return stability to this region".
The president of Burkina Faso said he welcomed President Kufuor into the Ecowas regional group, to continue the work ex-President Rawlings had started, as Ghana and West Africa looked for solutions to their problems.
Ghana sent troops to both Liberia and Sierra in the 1990s, to try to keep the peace, under the banner of Ecowas. But Ghanaians will not be part of the new West African Ecomog force that is to be sent to Guinea's borders with its two neighbours.
