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UN Chief urges leaders to accept poll results, handover power peacefully

Friday January 30 2015
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A group photo of African heads of state and government and UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon during the opening of the 24th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. PHOTO | PSCU

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged African leaders gathered for the 24th Heads of States Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to leave power peacefully and accept election results.

“People around the world have expressed their concern about leaders who refuse to leave office when their terms end. I share those concerns. I urge all leaders, in Africa and around the world, to listen to your people,” the secretary general said, adding that 2015 is a year many African countries will go to the polls.

“I hope the elections that take place in African countries this year will be as peaceful and successful as Tunisia, Botswana, and Malawi. Undemocratic constitutional changes and legal loopholes should never be used to cling to power,” he said.

Including the two most populous countries on the continent, Nigeria and Ethiopia, about a dozen countries are set to hold election in 2015.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma also repeated the call for peaceful elections in her opening remarks.

“The large number of elections in the coming year is an opportunity to present our people and countries with a vision for a different tomorrow. We must continue to conduct our elections peacefully, freely and fairly, with respect for the will of the people,” she said.

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The 24th heads of African States Summit is attended by most of the heads of states including President Mugabe of Zimbabwe who took the presidency of AU, and Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as well as invited guests such as Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas and Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

Though the summit’s theme was women empowerment, issues related to terrorism such as, Boko Haram, the unresolved South Sudan conflict, upcoming general elections and the breakout of the Ebola virus have received greater attention from speakers at the opening of the Summit on Friday.

READ: Security, Ebola to top agenda at Addis summit

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