** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org ** Yes, Salifou But two wrongs will never make a right. We cannot continue to gloss over our own shortcomings by looking back at what the NORTH is doing. The North is not a model of morality at all! Correct me if I am wrong. PETER W.VAKUNTA DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH AND ITALIAN UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON 602 VAN HISE HALL 1220 LINDEN DRIVE MADISON WI 53706-1525 U.S.A Office 608 262 4067 Home 608 422 6089 Cell 608 381 0407 "The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of the wise man is in his heart." BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ----- Original Message ----- From: salifou issoufou <[log in to unmask]> Date: Thursday, September 22, 2005 12:27 pm Subject: Re: VAMPIRIC COMPAORE CLINGS TO POWER! > Peter, it happens in north of the Sahara too. > > Salifou > > PETER W VAKUNTA <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > ** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org ** > > I am just wondering: when shall African leaders stop treating > their own > constitutions like pieces of toilet paper? It's so shameful what's > going on south of the Sahara! > > PETER W.VAKUNTA > DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH AND ITALIAN > UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON > 602 VAN HISE HALL > 1220 LINDEN DRIVE > MADISON WI 53706-1525 > U.S.A > Office 608 262 4067 > Home 608 422 6089 > Cell 608 381 0407 > > "The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of the wise > man is > in his heart." > BENJAMIN FRANKLIN > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: PETER W VAKUNTA > Date: Thursday, September 22, 2005 10:25 am > Subject: VAMPIRIC COMPAORE CLINGS TO POWER! > > > ** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org ** > > > > Compaore for ever > > > > 23/08/05, Martin Luther King > > > > > > In Burkina Faso, democracy appears to have acquired a new meaning. > > Instead of "government by the people, of the people and for the > > people," critics say it is now "government for Blaise Compaore > and by > > Compaore." The critics levelled the accusation after the long- > serving> President Compaore announced that he will stand again in > elections> scheduled for November 13. He personally announced his > intention> in his > > hometown of Ziniare, 35 km from the capital, Ouagadougou. But the > > opposition says the move is unconstitutional. > > > > Compaore, a former army captain, seized power in a bloody coup in > > 1987.Trading his military fatigues for civilian dress, he went on > > to win two > > landslide elections in 1991 and 1998 that were boycotted by the main > > opposition parties, who complained that the electoral system was > > opaqueand unfair. > > > > "The most important issue is to win over the public and reassure > them> that we can ensure the continued progress of Burkina Faso," > Compaore> said in comments broadcast on Radio France Internationale. > > > > At the heart of the row over Compaore's candidacy is whether a > recent> amendment to the west African nation's constitution should > be applied > > retroactively. In April 2000, parliament voted to reduce the > > presidential term from seven years to five and to allow a leader > > to be > > re-elected only once. > > > > That, says the opposition, means that Compaore, who has already > served> two seven-year terms, should not be allowed to bid for a > third.> > > "Compaore will be completing his second term in November... and > > will be > > violating the constitution if he stays on," said Benewende > > Sankara, the > > leader of the opposition Union for Renewal party, who is > planning to > > stand in the presidential poll himself. > > > > "Compaore's candidacy is improper not only in legal terms... it's > > improper because after 18 years of his rule Burkina Faso is one > of the > > poorest countries on the planet even though there's no war and > > politically things are stable," Sankara stated. > > > > The UN Human Development Index ranks Burkina Faso as the third > poorest> nation in the world, with an estimated 80 percent of its > 13 million > > people living on less than US $2 a day. > > > > Hermann Yameogo-son of Burkina Faso's first post-independence > > president, the leader of the National Union for Democracy and > > Development and another opposition candidate in November's > > election-is > > also incensed but not surprised. "This regime has never bothered > > itselfwith respecting the laws of this country," he alleged. > > > > However, the ruling Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP), which > > selected Compaore as its candidate in June, says the opposition > > has got > > its legal and moral arguments wrong. > > > > "Legally, President Compaore can be a candidate," said Salif Diallo, > > the director of Compaore's campaign and the current Agriculture > > minister. A constitutional revision brings a new constitution > with it > > and the old formula no longer holds. We in the CDP believe that > there> is a need for a prolonged stability for the political body > so as to > > strengthen democracy. The president's positive results lead us to > > endorse his candidacy... Today human rights and economic growth are > > realities." > > > > Political stability followed Compaore's military coup which was the > > fifth since independence from France in 1960. And Compaore at one > > pointwas free to rule for life. In 1997, the president's party > > amended the > > constitution, removing all restrictions on the number of times > someone> could stand for re-election. > > > > However the social unrest that erupted in the wake of the so-called > > Zongo Affair in 1998 meant that the change was short-lived. The > Zongo> Affair was named for Norbert Zongo, the journalist and > government> critic, who was assassinated while investigating the > death of a driver > > employed by Compaore's brother. > > > > Zongo's murder-which was later linked to the government by an > > independent, internationally-backed inquiry-prompted a series of > > massive strikes and public demonstrations, as Burkinabes railed > about> the lack of freedom of speech and the suppression of political > > opposition. The reforms that were brought in to appease the public > > included re-establishing presidential term limits. > > > > Aside from the issue of whether the 2000 constitutional amendment > > should be applied retroactively, the opposition groups are also > > unhappyabout changes to Burkina Faso's electoral code, passed last > > year. The > > country's electoral unit changed from the region-of which there > > are 15- > > to the province, of which there are 45. The opposition says that > this> gives the government an unfair advantage as it will be > impossible for > > them to field candidates and polling observers in all of the new > > zones. > > They also allege that fraud has occurred as voter registers have > been> computerised, with some people's records going on file several > > times. "All these manoeuvres do not suggest transparent > elections in > > November," Sankara said. > > > > But the government refutes these claims. Diallo, Compaore's campaign > > manager, declared: "Nobody can accuse us of not creating the > > conditionsfor transparent elections. We have always strived for > > fair elections." > > > > Analysts reckon that Compaore should triumph in the November poll. > > Apart from the incumbency factor, the lack of unity among the many > > opposition parties is also likely to split their vote. There are > > so far > > 15 opposition candidates vying for the presidency and even > Alternance> 2005, which is supposed to be an umbrella group of several > > parties, has > > seen more than one nomination emerge from its fold. > > > > As London-based researchers Global Insight said in a recent briefing > > note: "With the state apparatus at his command and the vast > > majority of > > Burkinabes having no pressing problems with his current > dispensation,> the President is, of course, the favourite candidate." > > > > September 2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > PETER W.VAKUNTA > > DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH AND ITALIAN > > UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON > > 602 VAN HISE HALL > > 1220 LINDEN DRIVE > > MADISON WI 53706-1525 > > U.S.A > > Office 608 262 4067 > > Home 608 422 6089 > > Cell 608 381 0407 > > > > "The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of the wise > > man is > > in his heart." > > BENJAMIN FRANKLIN > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > > --------- > > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, visit: > > > > http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/aam.html > > > > AAM Website: http://www.africanassociation.org > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > > --------- > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > --------- > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, visit: > > http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/aam.html > > AAM Website: http://www.africanassociation.org > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > --------- > > > > --------------------------------- > Yahoo! for Good > Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, visit: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/aam.html AAM Website: http://www.africanassociation.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------------