The Africa Liberal Network (ALN) is a network of liberal democratic political parties across the continent. The project was conceived of in 2003 with a vision of creating a prosperous, integrated Africa with flourishing democracies that are at peace with one another, in which every person has the right and opportunity to fulfil their potential and be what they want to be.

The ALN’s mission is to empower liberal parties to grow their support, to increase their influence on politics, and to implement liberal policies when in government. The network and its activities are funded through a combination of self-financing and support from strategic partners, most notably the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD).

This vacancy is for the Coordinator of the ALN Secretariat, responsible for managing the network on a day-to-day basis and overseeing its projects. The office is located in South Africa and funded primarily by the FNF.

The position is administratively and strategically line-managed by management of FNF in sub-Saharan Africa. The Secretariat receives political guidance from the network’s elected Executive Committee. The ALN enjoys close cooperation with Liberal International (LI), the global political family to which liberal parties and organisations belong.

Core purpose of the role:
1. Oversee the delivery of ALN projects and manage the network on a daily basis;
2. Promote the efforts of the network through a variety of media; and
3. Work with ALN members and partners to expand the impact and influence of the network.

The network has the greatest pleasure to announce our President, Maître Gilbert Noël Ouédraogo as endorsed by the network’s #ALN2020GA convened during 13 – 15 February 2020, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Together with the Executive Committee, President Gilbert Noël Ouédraogo will be leading the execution of the network’s 3 year strategy plan, which can be summarised as:

The network’s strategic priorities 2019 – 2022:

*External vision*: a prosperous and integrated Africa of flourishing democracies that are at peace with one another, in which all persons have the right and opportunity to fulfil their potential and be what they want to be;

*Internal vision*: a respected and influential advocate of liberal ideas on the African continent;

*Mission*: the network’s mission is to empower liberal political parties to grow their support, to increase their influence on politics of the continent and to implement liberal policies when in government.

Action Plan 2019 – 2020:

1. Adopt a clear national and regional strategy plan, which coincides with the continental strategy;
2. Support member parties with peer 2 peer exchange programmes;
3. Convene regional training workshops for member parties;
4. The constitutional review task team to investigate minimum standards of inclusion for youth and women. Investigation findings to be relayed, for consideration, by the ALN Executive Committee and ALN member party Executive Committees;
5. Extend to ALN member parties, realistic commitments and achievable goals, as outlined in the ALN Constitution, Johannesburg Declaration and the Liberal Manifesto for Africa;
6. Initiate and/ or collaborate with national, liberal political philosophy platforms;
7. Initiate the network’s annual calendar;
8. Initiate the network’s annual budget, complementing the calendar and the above outlined action plan.

Best wishes to the network, under the leadership of President Gilbert Noël Ouédraogo.

Recommendations on the theme: Peace and stability for economic and social development

• Considering its General Assembly, convened during 13 – 15 February 2020 in Ouagadougou, themed: Peace and stability for Economic and Social Development in Africa;
• Recalling the principle of solidarity and union of liberal parties to meet the aspirations of the African populations who expect from governance more justice, more peace and stability for equitable development;
• Recalling the interactive link between peace and stability, necessary conditions for economic and social development understood as a situation where there are no prospects for wealth, acquiring knowledge, power and whose achievement requires predictability and durability;
• Deploring the intensification of violence, the increasing attacks and kidnappings perpetrated by extremist groups in several African countries, in recent months, such as Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, making the security situation worrying and disturbing;
• Considering that respect for the Constitution is the first pledge of stability of a nation;
• Considering that stability and peace, without which all national construction is doomed to failure, constitute the guarantee of a country’s prosperity;
• Recalling the creed of the RLA which is to defend freedom, democracy and institutions;
• Wishing to promote economic and social development through entrepreneurship and the stimulation of the private sector;
• Aware of the harmful consequences of a constitutional forcing for unconstitutional mandates;
• Noting the perverse effects of the Internet on education, culture, social relations and the animation of political parties;

The Africa Liberal Network (ALN),

• Follows with concern the recent developments in the political crisis in Guinea, born of the will of the President of the Republic, Alpha Condé, to amend the Constitution in order to grant himself a third mandate;
• Recalls its attachment to the limitation of presidential mandates, as indicated in the Liberal Pan-African Manifesto adopted at its General Assembly in Abidjan in 2012;
• Encourages African States to adopt in their Constitution the limitation of mandates in order to promote democratic change and avoid the detention of supreme power by one person for an extended period, with all the known consequences;
• Condemns, therefore, the obstinacy of the Guinean President to change the Constitution of his country, eight months ahead of the end of his second and last mandate, with the sole aim of being able to seek a third term, at the tender age of 83 years;
• Support and encourage the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC) – a coalition of opposition political parties, unions and civil society organizations – which is fighting with courage and determination against this project to change the Constitution despite the ruthless repression to which his supporters are subjected to;
• Condemns the violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the recurrent use of lethal weapons in Guinea, during political or trade union demonstrations, which have to date resulted in the death of 134 innocent civilian demonstrators who are opposed to the Constitution amendment and the Guinean statutory laws amendment;
• Recommends that the elections in Africa which are a source of instability and conflict take place in compliance with the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance;

Formulates, in accordance with the principles of peace, stability and economic development of the Liberal Manifesto for Africa, the following recommendations:

1. Bring together traditional, religious and political leaders in each country in order to deeply identify the causes of internal conflicts;
2. Establish an inclusive, frank and permanent dialogue between the living forces of the nation on questions of national interest concerning elections, living together, etc. in order to prevent and mitigate electoral disputes, pre- and post-election violence;

• Promote inter-religious, inter-ethnic and inter-community dialogue at the base and sanction any case of extremism, however slight, in order to prevent and mitigate inter-community, inter-religious, inter-ethnic conflicts;
• Mobilize and involve all internal human resources for effective and less costly management of the consequences of conflicts and promote traditional and endogenous mechanisms for managing the consequences of conflicts;
• Improve governance in our young states to assert the authority of the state without violence;
• Respect individual and collective freedoms with a view to accepting differences and building strong nations;
• Identify areas of complementarity in terms of conflict prevention and the sustainability of peace in the region with a view to pooling efforts for greater efficiency;
• Identify the mechanisms, indicators and actors for the effective implementation of preventive diplomacy by the early warning system;
• Promote a new model of economic development, based on a dynamic private sector, independent of the ruling system but rather supported by innovation and by sustainable, decent employment for young people and women;
• Know how to count on your own strength. This requires an effort to mobilize internal resources by finding specific mechanisms for financing development projects and programs in crisis countries aimed at promoting the collective interest while relying on private actors and market instruments and in working for solidarity between African countries;
• Promote economic integration through intra-Africa trade and the creation of optimal monetary zones.

As the Africa Liberal Network (ALN), we call upon ECOWAS, the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations to refer to their statutory obligations and action appropriate measures applicable to President Alpha Condé and intervene to:

• Stop the massacre of Guinean compatriots;
• Respect the Constitution of the Republic by renouncing the illegal and conflict-generating third term project;
• Complete the local elections in accordance with the Electoral Code and the Supreme Court judgment delivered on December 26, 2019;
• Organize free, transparent and inclusive elections based on a Consensual Electoral Register, faithfully reflecting the reality of the electoral body;
• Open a dialogue in good faith with the Opposition to resolve differences and organize free, transparent and inclusive elections for both the legislative and presidential elections of 2020;
• Conduct serious investigations to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of the crimes during demonstrations against the third term.

14 February 2020

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Date: 4 February 2020
Release: Immediate

On 3 February 2020 Malawi’s constitutional court’s five panel judges unanimously annulled the 2019 General Elections results where President Mutharika had won with 38% thereby reverting to the 2014 to 2019 mandate until next elections are held. In interpreting the constitution, the court said that according to the law nobody won the 2019 elections because no candidate achieved 50+1.

The court have also reinstated Rt. Hon Saulos Kraus Chilima as the country’s Vice President replacing Rt. Hon Chimulirenji who had assumed office alongside President Peter Mitharika in May 2019.

The 500-page ruling cited widespread use of unauthorised correctional fluid, Tippex, to alter figures, the use of duplicate result sheets and unsigned results forms as cases that compromised the outcome of the elections. The court has also recommended to parliament to meet and amend the Elections Act paving way for a 50+1 win for the presidency.

The Africa Liberal Network congratulates the victory of the opposition political parties for championing the principles and actions of good governance and the rule of law. Further, the network commends the strict independence of the judiciary in protecting citizens’ constitutional rights.  We also commend the Malawi judges for having resisted attempts of bribery as the case was in progress.

The Africa Liberal Network believes that Africa’s long-term development can only be assured when political and civil rights are secured for all people. Power comes from the people and is expressed through regular, free and fair elections.

This is the second time in Africa that a constitutional court annuls election results, the first was Kenya in 2017.

Elections should be open, transparent, and express the legitimate choice of the citizens.

This is indeed a milestone. This is a valuable lesson for all governments to learn from.

Well done to opposition parties for upholding democratic principles!

Issued by the Africa Liberal Network