2013ANNUAL REPORT

AFRICALIBERALNETWORK

RESEAULIBERALAFRICAIN

2 3

Message from the ALN PresidentWords from our PartnersExecutive CommitteeThe Africa Liberal Network - Championing Liberal Democracy in AfricaBest Practice in Political CommunicationStudy Tours: Experiencing sister party operationsEngaging with Liberals around the worldA new home and a new lookALN in the newsElection observation: Building capacity to run free and fair elections10th Annual ALN General AssemblyALN Declaration on Jobs and GrowthPan-African Liberal Manifesto

04060708

10

11

12

131415

161820

IndexCELEBRATING 10 YEARS AS Pioneers of Liberalism in Africa

CONTACT THE AFRICA LIBERAL NETWORK

Ms Aimee FranklinAfrica Liberal Network Coordinator

Democratic Alliance National Head Office2nd Floor, Theba Hoskin Housec/o Breda and Mill Streets, GardensCape TownRepublic of South Africa

POSTAL ADDRESS

Democratic Alliance National Head OfficeP.O Box 1475Cape Town8000Republic of South Africa

Tel: (+27) 021 465 1431Fax: (+27) 021 466 8394

E-mail: aimee.franklin@africaliberalnetwork.org

facebook.com/AfricaLiberalNetwork

twitter.com/AfricanLiberals

www.africaliberalnetwork.org

4 5

As the second Annual Report that the network has produced, it is an important showcase of the work the ALN has undertaken to advance Liberal Democracy across Africa.

2013 was a busy year full of positive developments for the network. In particular, I would like to welcome Ms. Aimee Franklin as the new head of our Secretariat. Her dynamism, leadership and organizational skills made it possible to hold a number of successful events throughout the year. In 2013 the ALN was more visible than ever before, and the outcomes of our work were communicated extensively through our social media platforms, including on Facebook and Twitter.

Unfortunately, in the last year a number of fragile situations persisted across the continent and continued to hamper the development of many African states. Taking advantage of a forum organized jointly with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in June 2013, the ALN made a modest contribution to the ongoing resolution of the Malian crisis. Other situations that the Network has monitored closely, and which remain a concern, include those in Sudan, Somalia and the Central African Republic.

It also falls on me to acknowledge and thank all of the Liberals who, because of their commitment to advancing freedom and democracy, have lost their lives or have been victims of abuse

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT Hon. Olivier Kamitatu Etsu

Liberal Colleagues,

It is with great pleasure that I present the 2013 Africa Liberal Network Annual Report to you.

The ALN has decided to participate actively in the discourse around free trade and job creation on the continent.

and imprisonment. With the ALN’s Johannesburg Declaration and Pan-African Liberal Manifesto as the foundation of all we do, the ALN has, and will continue to make our voice heard in support of our members in Guinea Conakry, Senegal, Burundi and Sudan, where the situations remain tenuous. The same goes for fellow Africans in Nigeria and Uganda, where violations of fundamental human rights have been in the spotlight.

On the political front, in addition to party to party assistance projects in countries such as Botswana and South Africa, the ALN continued throughout 2013 to provide support to member parties competing in national elections.

In 2014, the ALN plans to expand the support provided by developing a plan to deploy teams of election observers into countries as required.

Collaboration between ALDEPAC and the ALN has also intensified, and in doing so, has strengthened the coherence and effectiveness of the two organizations, both of which are committed to championing the values of freedom and democracy.

In addition to continuing to work on our core objective of empowering Liberal parties to grow their support to increase their influence on politics and implement Liberal policies when in government, the ALN has decided to participate actively in the discourse around free trade and job creation on the continent.

As representatives of the African Liberal family, it is our responsibility to ensure that the fundamental requirements are in place to maximize sustainable economic growth and eradicate poverty on the continent. The question of how to address these issues was on the table both at the ALN General Assembly in Zanzibar in December 2013 and the ALDEPAC Conference in Cape Town in early 2014.

Finally, I would like to thank the Liberal Democrats, Westminster Foundation for Democracy and Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom for their consistent support during the past year. Without it the ALN would not have been able to grow in the manner it has across continent.

Under the patronage of HE Alassane Ouattara and Mrs. Helen Zille, a Liberal Africa is now clearly on the horizon.

Yours sincerely,

6 7

Hubertus von WelckRegional Director Africa, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) Dear Liberal friends,

With great pleasure we saw ALN’s organisational structures strengthened in 2013 thanks largely to its Secretariat and its new head, Ms Aimee Franklin, operating for the first time from the African continent.

The ALN’s new approach to focus on a few key strategic development areas has proven to be meaningful: Throughout 2013, ALN representatives from almost 20 different African countries were trained in political communication, allowing them to enhance their Liberal communication skill set, implementing it in their daily political work and thereby strengthening the core operations of their parties. Communicating effectively to its voters as well as to its members is a crucial indicator for the success of a political party. This is why the FNF will continue focusing on the development of Liberal political communication skills.

Skills training is part of the FNF’s daily business, and I am looking forward to deepening the collaboration with the ALN in this field beyond 2013.

Yours sincerely,

Hubertus von WelckFNF Regional Director Africa

Iain GillHead of Liberal Democrats International Office

Dear Friends,

2013 will be marked as the most exciting year for the Liberal Democrats/WFD in our partnership with the ALN. The network has continued to develop at a phenomenal rate, not only in terms of members but also in its depth, drive and strategic direction. The network is now regarded as the largest ideological political network in Africa. We are more than just partners, we are family, and although we may not always subscribe to the exact same policies, we are confident and clear about our ideological place on the political map. There is room for difference of opinions in style, substance and ideological direction - both centre left and centre right have a place in our family. The ALN has accommodated this with a level of maturity and respect that should be the envy of western democracies.

2013 was rich with activity and we look forward to even more development in 2014 alongside our friends in the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.

At the end of the day politics should always be about voters and all voters in a democracy deserve a choice. We represent the Liberal choice and I have no doubt we will grow from strength to strength with the leadership of the ALN executive and our Secretariat.

Iain GillHead of Liberal Democrats International Office

WORDS FROM OUR PARTNERS…

Northern AfricaMr. Ahmadou Elbaz

Western AfricaMaître Gilbert Noël Ouédraogo

Central Africa Hon. Alice Nzomukunda

Member of Political Bureau of Union Constitutionnelle of Morocco.

President of Alliance pour la Démocratie et la Fédération Rassemblement Démocra-tique Africain, Deputy Speaker of National Assembly & Mayor of Ouahigouya.

President of the Alliance Démocratique pour le Renouveau and former Vice-President of the Republic of Burundi.

vpnorth@africaliberalnetwork.org vpwest@africaliberalnetwork.org vpcentral@africaliberalnetwork.org

Eastern AfricaMr Adil Abdel Aati

Southern AfricaMr Gomolemo Motswaledi

TreasurerHon. Bryan Julie

Chair of the Political Council, Liberal Democratic Party of Sudan.

President of the Botswana Movement for Democracy.

Treasurer of the Seychelles National Party and former Member of Parliament.

vpeast@africaliberalnetwork.org vpsouthern@africaliberalnetwork.org vpcentral@africaliberalnetwork.org

Secretariat Aimee Franklin

The ALN Secretariat is based in Cape Town, South Africa and coordinates all ALN events and projects and oversees the day to day functioning of the network.aimee.franklin@africaliberalnetwork.org

Alongside the President, the Executive Committee includes five Vice-Presidents, representing each region of the continent, and a Treasurer. The Executive Committee serves a two-year term, which will come up for election in 2014. In 2013, the Executive Committee met twice, once in Gaborone, Botswana on 8 August and once in Zanzibar on 5 December, to discuss the strategic direction of the ALN, including the network’s new brand identity. The Executive Committee also reviewed the political situation in various African countries, and issued statements on a variety of current affairs. More can be read about this on page 14 of the Annual Report.

THE ALN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

ALN PRESIDENTHon. Oliver Kamitatu EtsuPrésident of the Alliance pour le Renouveau du Congo (ARC)

8 9

Through our work with member parties, the ALN aims to spread Liberal values across the African continent by:

• Championing Liberal policy solutions to Africa’s challenges.• Capacitating Liberal Democratic member parties with the skills they need to win elections and run governments based

on Liberal values.• Providing a platform for like-minded Liberals in Africa to network and share information, experience, skills, and ideas.

All members of the network are bound by a policy stating that they exist to ensure the freedom and dignity of all people through establishing political and civil rights, ensuring basic freedoms and the rule of law, supporting democratic governance based on free and fair elections with peaceful transition, ensuring religious, gender and minority rights, fighting corruption and establishing free market economies.

THE AFRICA LIBERAL NETWORK Championing Liberal Democracy in Africa Launched in June 2003, the Africa Liberal Network (ALN) is an alliance of 35 Liberal Democratic parties and organisations from 24 African countries and is an associated organisation of Liberal International, the political family to which Liberal Democratic parties belong.

Members of the ALNADF-RDA (Alliance pour la Démocratie et la Fédération - Rassemblement Démocratique Africain) Burkina-Faso

ADR (Alliance Démocratique pour le Renouveau) Burundi

ANADER (Alliance Nationale des Démocrates pour la Reconstruction) DRC

ANC (Alliance Nationale pour les Comores) Comoros

ARC (Alliance pour le Renouveau du Congo) DRC

BMD (Botswana Movement for Democracy) Botswana

CUF (Civic United Front - Chama Cha Wanachi) Tanzania

DA (Democratic Alliance) South Africa

EDP (Ethiopian Democratic Party) Ethiopia

FDD (Forum for Democratic Devolution) Malawi

KULMIYE (Peace, Unity and Development Party) Somaliland

LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) Sudan

LDT (Liberal Democratic Transparency) Uganda

MFM (Militants pour le Progrès de Madagascar) Madagascar

MP (Mouvement Populaire) Morocco

OALY (Organisation for African Liberal Youth-Liberals Energizing African Democracy) Pan-African

ODM (Orange Democratic Movement) Kenya

PCR (Parti Citoyen pour le Renouveau) Mali

PDD (Partido Para a Paz Democracia e Desenvolvimento) Mozambique

PDS (Parti Démocratique Sénégalais) Senegal

PNR (Parti National pour la Réforme) DRC

PULS (Parti de l’Unité et du Libéralisme Social) Guinea

PMDC (People’s Movement for Democratic Change) Sierra Leone

RDR (Rassemblement Des Républicains) Ivory Coast

SNP (Seychelles National Party) Seychelles

SSLYF (Southern Sudan Liberal Youth Forum) South Sudan

LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) Sudan

TFP (Truth Federal Party) Sudan

UDF (United Democratic Front) Malawi

UFDG (Union des Forces Démocratiques de Guinée) Guinea

UFR (Union des Forces Républicaines) Guinea

UMR (Union pour la Majorité Républicaine) DRC

UPND (United Party For National Development) Zambia

UC (Union Constitutionnelle) Morocco

UREC (Union pour la Reconstruction du Congo) DRC

35AFRICAN LIBERALDEMOCRATIC PARTIES

in 24 African Countries VISION The ALN has a vision of a prosperous and integrated Africa of 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.

MISSIONThe 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.

10 11

BEST PRACTICE IN POLITICAL COMMUNICATIONDuring 2013, the ALN ran a Best Practice in Political Communication Project which aimed to capacitate member parties with the skills they need to communicate their messages more effectively to their respective electorates.

A GUIDE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL LIBERAL COMMUNITY

THE ALN IN ACTION Highlights of our activities in 2013

As a result of the two-day workshop in Botswana, the ALN Secretariat, with the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, produced a written guide to best practice in political communication for distribution to all ALN member parties, as well as to the broader international Liberal community. Synthesising experiences and examples of best practice in political communication from 11 ALN member parties, as well as from the U.K. Liberal Democrats, the guide that the Network has produced is an invaluable strategic tool for the entire international Liberal community.

With the support of the Liberal Democrats, in partnership with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, 11 representatives from ALN member parties across Africa gathered at a two-day workshop in Gaborone, Botswana, in August 2013, to:

• Share and compare their respective parties communication and media management models,

• Learn from UK Partner, the Liberal Democrats, about the party’s communication strategy,

• Compare the successes and challenges of all communication models presented in the workshop,

• Discuss and identify best practice with respect to three key areas of political communication, namely; media relations, direct marketing and websites and social media.

A second workshop designed to share best practice in political communication from a West African perspective was hosted in Dakar, Senegal, in September 2013 by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom for representatives from more than 17 French-speaking ALN member parties.

Above:Liberal Democrats Head of Strategic Seat Operations, Victoria Marsom

facilitated the Botswana workshop, drawing on her experience

managing communications for party by-election campaigns.

Above:Liberal Democrats Deputy Leader, Simon Hughes, shared his tips for

dealing with the media learnt over his 30 years in political office.

Above:The ALN drew on experiences from over 11 ALN member parties to

produce the Guide to Best Practice in Political Communication.

1312

Throughout the year the ALN conducts study tours to meet with Liberal partners around the world and expose member party leaders to best practice in a range of political party operations, including internal party democracy, policy making and election and communication strategy.

During 2013, ALN representatives participated in two study tours to attend the party conferences of the network’s U.K partner, the Liberal Democrats.

STUDY TOURS: Experiencing sister party operations

A NEW HOME AND A NEW LOGO

The Africa Liberal Network kicked off 2013 in a new home after the relocation of its Secretariat from London to Cape Town, South Africa, where it is hosted by South African ALN member party, the Democratic Alliance, in its National Head Office.

Operating from African soil, the ALN Secretariat is now even better placed to respond to regional issues and meet the needs of the Network’s members.

March 2013 saw the employment of a new Secretariat Coordinator, Aimee Franklin, who joined the ALN after serving the Democratic Alliance for four years prior in various operational positions, including as the party’s National Youth Director.

To close off 2013, the ALN adopted a fresh new logo, which incorporates the traditional Liberal blue colour, as well as the warm orange of Africa that is used by many ALN member parties in their own party branding.

SPRING LIBERAL DEMOCRATS CONFERENCE – MARCH 2013Eight representatives from Tanzanian ALN member party, the Civic United Front (CUF), travelled to the U.K to attend the Liberal Democrats Spring Party Conference in Brighton. With both the Liberal Democrats and Civic United Front serving as junior coalition partners in their respective country’s govern-ments, the primary purpose of the study tour was to enable the two sister parties to share experiences of managing and participating in a coalition.

The ALN delegates were able to meet with numerous British counterparts, including the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, Department for International Development Minister for Africa, Lynne Featherstone, and the party’s Westminster Foundation for Democracy Governor, Sir Andrew Stunell MP, who was a member of the Liberal Democrats coalition nego-tiation team.

AUTUMN LIBERAL DEMOCRATS CONFERENCE – SEPTEMBER 2013 Four representatives from ALN member parties in South Africa, Botswana, Malawi and Mozambique attended the Liberal Democrats Autumn Conference in Glasgow, Scotland in September 2013. The delegates met and exchanged ex-periences with Liberal Democrats leaders and staff who are involved with the party’s policy making process, as well as those involved with international affairs and election and communication strategy.

The ALN delegate from the Democratic Alliance in South Africa also participated in a fringe panel discussion at the conference on winning votes from African diasporas in the UK, which contributed greatly to relationship building between ALN member parties and the Liberal Democrats.

ENGAGING WITH LIBERALS AROUND THE WORLD As well as working with 35 member parties in 24 different African states, the Africa Liberal Network is an associate organisation of Liberal International, the international the political family to which Liberal Democratic parties belong. The ALN works in close partnership with this international community to advance the Liberal cause across the globe.

As well as attending Liberal International and other meetings around the world, ALN member party representatives participated in a range of seminars at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom’s International Academy for Leadership in Gummersbach, Germany. Seminar topics in 2013 included strategic planning, strategic political communication, political leadership and liberalism and religion.

AFRICALIBERALNETWORK

RESEAULIBERALAFRICAIN

Left:Leaders from ALN member parties in South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique

and Malawi participated in the September 2013 study tour to Glasgow.

Top Right:ALN Coordinator, Aimee Franklin, briefs UK Deputy Prime Minister

Nick Clegg about the ALN’s work on one of the ALN’s study tours.

Top Left:In Glasgow, ALN leaders engaged with the Liberal

Democrats International Relations Committee.

Top Left:The new ALN logo represents the reach and

spread of the Network across Africa, as well

as the solidarity between its members.

Above:The ALN welcomed Ms. Aimee Franklin as the

new Coordinator of its Secretariat, pictured here

with Mr. Mahamoudou Ali Mohamed, President

of the Comorian ALN member party, ANC.

Above:ALN Vice President for Central Africa, and former Vice-President

of Burundi,Alice Nzomukunda, is welcomed to the 191st Liberal

International Executive Committee Meeting in Antigua, Guatemala,

by President Otto Perez.

Above:Tim Harris (second from left) of South African ALN member party, the

Democratic Alliance, sits on the Liberal International Bureau and

met with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman at the 190th

Liberal International Executive Committee

Meeting in Beirut, Lebanon.

Left:ALN President, Olivier Kamitatu Etsu, speaks on a panel discussion at

the ALDEPAC Conference in Malawi.

14 15

Spotlight on West Africa

Elections across the continent

Defending media freedom

The ALN Executive Committee released statements on a number of significant elections that took place on the continent during 2013.

In Guinea, the ALN welcomed opposition parties’ decision to challenge allegations of electoral fraud against the government in court. Anomalies identified by numerous international observation missions included the systematic refusal by the electoral authorities to enrol and distribute voting cards to opposition supporters and the heavy involvement of security forces and government officials in the electoral process.

In Ethiopia, the ALN highlighted a number of concerning incidents, including opposition candidates being denied access to the media, irregularities in voter registration and the reported abuse of government funds by the ruling party for the purposes of campaigning.

In Mali, the network expressed support for Presidential Candidate Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in the Presidential run off, with Keita subsequently winning the polls.

In Zimbabwe, the network called for an independent audit of the election results in order to allay fears around the mismanagement of the election, including a suspicious voters roll and chaotic early voting process.

On 1 and 2 June 2013, nine West African ALN member parties met in Bamako to draft resolutions on the security situation in Senegal, Mali and Guinea. The meeting was arranged by ALN partner, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, and gave the party representatives an opportunity to formulate resolutions regarding the clampdown on opposition leaders by the Senegalese government and the escalating intimidation of opposition parties ahead of the Guinean election in 2013.

In addition to dealing with these issues, the representatives formulated a Liberal proposal for restoring governance in Mali that included a plan to effectively guarantee the safety of people and property, re-establish the rule of law and establish a system for monitoring and evaluating the process and issuing early warnings if necessary.

Securing media and freedom of expression rights is a continuous challenge across the continent as African countries grapple with their democratic transitions. In 2013 the ALN drew attention to an apparent increase in the intimidation of journalists in Uganda, where government security forces shut down the operations of a newspaper and two radio stations without properly authorised search warrants.

The ALN also wrote to the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to ask her to investigate a new media law in Burundi that severely restricts journalists’ abilities to report freely on matters through the imposition of heavy fines and jail sentences.

ALN IN THE NEWS Championing Liberal issues in Africa

ELECTION OBSERVATION Building capacity to run free and fair elections

Across Africa, where allegations of vote-rigging and unfair polling station practices are rife, it is essential that po-litical parties have the ability to effec-tively monitor voting processes, and that when problems are identified, they know how to address concerns within the prescribed legal framework.

In order to equip ALN member parties with the skills they need to deploy well-trained party agents into polling sta-tions to observe elections, ALN partner, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, held a workshop in Johan-nesburg in November 2013 for repre-sentatives from ALN member parties in Botswana, Tanzania and the Comoros.

The 5-day workshop, which was facili-tated by international election obser-vation training organisation, BRIDGE, engaged the participants in practical role play simulating the voting, count-ing and complaint procedures and equipped them with the skills they need to prepare for any eventuality in the polling station on voting day. This hands on experience was coupled with facilitation training so that the participants were able to return to their countries equipped with the skills they need to train party members.

Right:The participants graduated with training

recognition certificates from BRIDGE.

Top Right:Hildah Sibisibi of the Botswana ALN Member Party,

the BMD, demonstrates her facilitation

skills.

Main Image:Role play exercises included the voting, vote

counting and objection procedures.

16 17

The 10th Annual ALN General Assembly took place in Zanzibar, Tanzania, in December 2013 with the support of local member party, the Civic United Front (CUF). The ALN General Assembly is the largest annual gathering of the network’s members and brings together senior Liberal African leaders from the network’s 35 member parties to share best practice, network and review the work of the ALN across the continent. This year, the ALN General Assembly also celebrated the 10 year anniversary of the network’s founding.

Events at the 2013 General Assembly included:

• The launch of the ALN Guide to Best Practice in Political Communication.

• Panel discussions on Free Trade and Human Rights.• The adoption of the ALN Declaration for Jobs and

Growth in Africa, with the support of Sir Andrew Stunell of the Liberal Democrats.

• Resolutions on the situations in Burundi, Senegal, Sudan, Guinea, the International Criminal Court and the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declara-tion of Human Rights.

A workshop was held for all delegates at the ALN General Assembly to share best practice in how to plan, research and produce an election manifesto for a Liberal political party.

Using his party’s own experience preparing for the 2014 national election in South Africa, the Democratic Alliance’s National Chairman, Dr. Wilmot James, took delegates through the process of producing a realistic, substantiated and well-researched election manifesto, as well as the art of simplifying its contents to commu-nicate in a compelling and easy-to-understand way to voters.

10TH ANNUAL ALNGeneral Assembly

BEST PRACTICE IN CREATING A Liberal Election Manifesto

Above:ALN President, Olivier Kamitatu Etsu and ALN Vice-President for

Central Africa, Alice Nzomukunda, address the crowds at the CUF

rally to welcome the General Assembly delegates to Zanzibar.

Above:The event attracted significant attention from local media in Zanzibar. Here CUF

Chairman, Prof. Ibrahim Lipumba , and the ALN President address journalists.

Above:The final evening of the General Assembly was marked with

a happy celebration of the Network’s 10th birthday.

Left:Leaders from the ALN’s 35 member parties

attended the General Assembly.

Right:The First Vice-President of Zanzibar and CUF Secretary General, Mr

Seif Sharif Hamad, hosted a reception in honour of the delegates.

18 19

THE ALN DECLARATION For Jobs and Growth in AfricaAdopted at the 10th Annual General Assembly, the ALN Declaration for Jobs and Growth in Africa sets out the key priorities for Africa’s growth that the network will champion throughout 2014.

ADOPTED IN ZANZIBAR 7 December 2013

The ALN member parties commit to working for secure and peaceful development for all the peoples and nations of Africa and believe that fundamental to that is providing jobs and growth for the benefit of all through the adoption by the governments of Africa, acting on the principles of full transparency and good governance, of the following priorities for action;

1. An acceleration of the programme of infrastructure de-velopment, particularly in the ICT, transport and energy sectors, where a strong partnership of governments and the private sector is essential.

2. An urgent commitment to simplifying and automating customs and visa procedures, and the elimination of non-state barriers to free trade and the transit of good and services.

3. The rapid development of effective property rights, the rule of law and simplified rules for business establishment, to permit a thriving private sector to grow.

4. A sustained reduction in intra-African tariff barriers, alongside a programme to build capacity to accommo-date short-term impacts on government revenues, and in the longer term to open up a continent-wide free trade area.

We, the ALN member parties, further believe that delivering these priorities for action will;

• Increase trade between the nations of Africa to their mutual benefit,

• Increase the well-being of the peoples of Africa, and,• Enhance the opportunities, choices and freedoms of all.

We commend these priorities to all the governments, parties and citizens of Africa, and urge their adoption for action.

20 21

The ALN is guided in all its work by the Pan-African Liberal Manifesto, which was adopted in Abidjan at the 2012 ALN General Assembly. The Manifesto is founded on the principles of economic, environ-mental and social sustainability and outlines the key principles necessary for the development of Africa into a peaceful, integrated, prosperous and fully-democratic continent. POLITICAL REFORM AND CIVIL RIGHTS

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. The Network believes in the rights of the individual; rights which are not given to each of us, are not given to any of us.

1. Separation of Powers: The different and independent roles of the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary must be respected. Elected Heads of State should only serve a maximum of two terms in office, not exceeding five years each, so as to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of one individual for a prolonged period. The Legislature, as an assembly of representatives of the people, should play a greater role in oversight of the Executive, in addition to creating laws. The Judiciary should be impartial and independent.

2. Elections: Elections should be open, transparent, and meet the provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. The Network calls for full ratification of this Charter and the implementation of its provisions, and for AU monitoring processes to be fully compatible with the highest international standards.

3. Freedom of Expression and Associ-ation: Free expression of ideas should be realised for the people of Africa through the establishment of diverse outlets for expression, with equitable access to the media for all citizens.

4. Political Parties: There must be rec-ognition of the vital importance to democracy of political parties as a vehicle for the promotion of ideas.

We believe that political parties have a responsibility to represent the views and needs of constituents. The Network calls for the establishment of fair and equitable conditions for all political parties to play their role freely and effectively. At the same time, there must be clear separation of the functions of the ruling party and Government; public resources must not be abused to meet the objectives of one party. The Government has an obligation to act in the interests of the whole population.

5. Rights: The Network upholds the protection of all fundamental human and political rights, as set out in in-ternational declarations such as the UN Declaration on Human Rights. The application of funda-mental human and political rights of Africans as individuals should not be unduly constrained by the state in its desire to promote common goals. Liberals believe that recognised and secure private property rights are vital, not only to economic de-velopment, but also to underpin individual civil and political rights.

6. Devolution of Power: The Network believes that devolution of power creates wider opportunities for indi-viduals to participate in local affairs and to contribute to the develop-ment of communities. Mechanisms should provide for the equitable dis-tribution of national resources.

7. Good Governance and the Rule of Law: The Network is committed to the highest standards of profes-sional conduct in public admin-istration. Openness, accountabil-ity, an independent civil service, and the rule of law are essential tools in the fight against corruption. Impunity must be addressed and those found culpable of misconduct should face the full force of the law.

8. Civil Society: The role of civil society should be recognised in all states. The Network calls for the provision of a legislative framework which will enable civil society groups to operate freely and effective-ly and promote the betterment of society through advocacy for the rights and needs of the people.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Liberals believe in the promotion of free enterprise and fair trade. The Network wishes to promote widespread prosperity through the development of entrepre-neurship and the empower-ment of the private sector.

9. Trade: African liberals are committed to increase intra-Afri-can trade by easing of barriers to in-ternational exchange of goods and services. The Network will seek to persuade the World Trade Orga-nization to allow preferential tariff reductions between African states.

10. Economic Freedom The Network believes that each government in the region should encourage the development of markets, without favouring particular businesses, in order to encourage individual entrepreneurs in all sectors.

11. The Enabling State: We believe that government has a vital role to play in enabling all people to participate fully in the economy. This must include enabling economic opportunity for all in a diversified economy, ensuring adequate provision of education, health services and support for disabled people and senior citizens; and addressing unemployment.

12. Public-Private Partnerships:Liberals supports public-private part-nerships and see a need for gov-ernments to invest in areas that do not attract private investment but are essential for the public.

13. Agricultural Development: The Network will support investment in agricultural technology and skills to improve productivity and profit-ability. The Network will encourage the development of agricultur-al processing companies in rural areas to provide jobs. This will reduce over-dependence on limited land and rural-urban migration.

4. Environmental Sustainability: African liberals will work to preserve our natural resources for posterity. We will campaign for water, land and ecosystems to be used sus-tainably; for investment in clean

energy generation; and for gov-ernments and peoples to earn their fair share of the profits of minerals, through levying of taxes, rents and charges on extractive industries as appropriate. The Network believes that enterprises should practise corporate social responsibility.

PEACE AND STABILITY

The Network wants Africa to be a peaceful and stable continent. The Network and its member parties are committed to working with sovereign states, international and regional or-ganisations, civil society groups and non-state actors to end violent conflict both within and between African states. Where conflict does emerge, the Network is committed to supporting conflict resolution at every level, beginning at the local level, from traditional to national and international institutions.

15. International Relations: The Network calls for the respect of inter-national law and norms, as well as the territorial integrity and sovereignty of African states; while recognising the validity of the Responsibility to Protect Doctrine (R2P) that regimes can forgo their sovereign rights if they commit extreme violence against their own populations. The Network demands an end to proxy conflicts and their negative impact on individual lives and continental prosperity.

16. Regional Integration: The Network believes that regional integration is the key to long-term peace and prosperity and calls for the creation and enlargement of free trade blocs as a prelude to ending protectionism on the African continent. The Network wants to unite the people of Africa and calls for greater investment in communications and infrastructure, in addition to the easing of visa restric-tions. The Network actively supports the creation of new institutions and treaties which ensure greater co-operation between nation states to address transnational threats such as terrorism, piracy, corruption, environ-mental degradation and the illicit traf-ficking of people, drugs and arms.

17. Humanitarian Values: The Network calls for greater preparedness and

cooperation in cases of humanitari-an emergency. The Network defends the right to seek refuge in neighbour-ing countries, while recognising that this requires an urgent coordinated response in order to minimise the stress on those affected, the host state, and the international community.

18. Human Rights: The Network urges the further development of the inter-national legal system and wants to ensure that when credible evidence emerges of grievous human rights violations or crimes against humanity, a comprehensive investigation follows, with the accused judged by a competent court. Where this is not possible at the national level, the Network believes that regional and international courts should assume this role. Those found guilty should be held responsible for their actions while ensuring that the threat of punishment does not perpetuate a conflict which could otherwise be resolved.

19. Conflict Resolution: The Network actively supports all indigenous efforts to address the legacy of violent conflict; including attempts to re-habilitate and reintegrate individ-uals culpable for crimes against their own communities during civil conflicts. The Network recognises the positive impact of the process of truth and reconciliation, whilst acknowledging that this may not be appropriate in every case.

20. Arms Trade: The Network calls for African governments to re-examine their military expenditure urgently and reallocate resources towards promoting greater peace and stability on the African continent, including AU- and UN-mandat-ed peacekeeping forces which can help to stabilise conflicts. The Network urges stronger internation-al action to curb the arms trade which is a scourge on African devel-opment. Furthermore, the Network calls on all African states to cooperate with global efforts to ensure greater transparency in this industry.

THE

PAN-

AFRI

CAN

LIBE

RAL M

ANIF

ESTO

Fo

r a p

eace

ful,

inte

gra

ted,

pro

sper

ous a

nd fu

lly-d

emoc

ratic

con

tinen

t.

VISION The ALN has a vision of a prosperous and integrated Africa of 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.

AFRICALIBERALNETWORK

RESEAULIBERALAFRICAIN