In the midst of a global financial meltdown, workers and unions in France have started a strike which has shut down government institutions and businesses across the nation. What the timing of this strike says about the French is a question of debate but this could not have come at a worst moment for the country. Does this make everyone in France and the world better or worse off?
In yet another setback to bring lasting peace to Zimbabwe, Reuters News service reported Monday that there is deadlock in negotiations between the ruling ZANU PF party and the opposition MDC on the terms of implementation of the September 08 power sharing agreement. Both sides are currently at a regional summit to help broker a deal. This will be last chance, the Reuters report says, for any constructive agreement to be reached. Afterwards, no one knows what would happen in Zimbabwe.
These days, all roads lead to Washington, where senator Barrack Obama will be inaugurated on January 20 as the 44th president of the U.S. The expectations of what Obama will do for Africa are high. Whether Africa will gain from an Obama presidency or not is the subject of much chatter on many Africa blogs, email groups, television shows. What is everyone talking about? Who has done more or could do more for Africa?
Outgoing president George W. Bush has touted PEPFAR (The Presidents Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief) as a monumental achievement for him with millions of lives that have been saved through Aids medicine. Former president Clinton made two prominent trips to Africa during his presidency as did President George W. Bush. How many trips will Obama make to Africa?
Wednesday January 7 saw the installation of opposition leader John Atta Mills as president in Ghana, the second such change in the country since the return to multi party elections in 1990. It was a victory for the NDC, for the entire country of Ghana and for the opposition which snatched a narrow victory from the ruling NPP party. It may have been a hard fought and hard won election but the idea that change can come to Ghana so easily, this time and without bloodshed, after years in which military force was the only answer, is causing analysts to look at the entire African continent somewhat differently.
Is this a sign of the times? This may be true, as Reuters is reporting that the military juntas that took control of Guinea, Dec 08, and Mauritania, August 08, are now promising elections in 2009, earlier than they had planned. In Mauritania, elections will be held in May, according to Reuters and in Guinea, elections will take place within twelve months.
Is this the result of pressure from the international community or is this the result of what these leaders see as simply the right thing to do. If not, why was force used in the first place and why have they suddenly made a change of their hearts?
Ghana’s electoral commission announced late Friday that John Atta Mills, leader of the national democratic congress(NDC) had secured a narrow victory over the ruling NPP. Mills won 50. 23% over 49.77 for Nana Akuffo-Addo, according to Reuters News Service. This makes Mills the winner of the runoff elections and puts him on the path to be Ghana’s next president. Mills will take over from two term limited John Kufuor who steps down January 7.