GP: Ivory Coast Denounces Election Results

Guest Post: Georges from Ivory Coast

Ivorian Party FPI denounced the results of the elections of the 21^st of April

On Wednesday 24^th of April, the FPI (Front Populaire Ivoirien) held a press conference in order to express its point of view regarding the results of the first rounds of the regional and municipals elections, which took place on Sunday 21^st of April. According to Mr Richard Kodjo, spokesperson of the FPI, the elections that took place were only a “masquerade” whose goal was to give more power to President Alassane Ouattara. Indeed, the party denounced the results and added that it only portrayed the illegitimacy of the regime in place, illustrating the fraud President Ouattara is guilty of.

The FPI, which still proclaims Laurent Gbagbo as legitimate president of Côte D’Ivoire, spent a long time explaining how President Ouattara's use of repressive methods against and non-democratic methods on different parties in Côte D’Ivoire, more precisely on the FPI itself. “Political violence in Côte D’Ivoire has always been on the side of the current holders of state power” said Mr Kodjo, affirming the position of the FPI regarding President Ouattara’s legitimacy as Head of state.

Mr Kodjo ended by restating that the party would not recognize the results of the elections as legitimate and by inviting all democrats and “progressive forces” to unite against President Ouattara.

Random Georges thoughts: The first thing that came to my mind while reading the first lines of this article was: “Are they complaining again?” Indeed, this press conference only shows what the FPI has been doing ever since President Gbagbo lost his position as Head of state. It is really unfortunate that the party keepn blaming President Alassane Ouattara (and the international community) for what happened in Côte D’Ivoire after the 2010 presidential elections. According to Mr Richard Kodjo, who qualified Laurent Gbagbo as rightful president of Côte D’Ivoire, these elections only portrayed the illigitimacy of President Allassane Ouattara. This is far from the “national reunification” many Ivorian politicians (and people) keep talking about.

This is the kind of comments that will not help Côte D’Ivoire move forward. It is absolutely impossible to talk about “unity” and “national reconciliation” while bringing ghosts from the past into play. This only shows how desperate for power the FPI is. It should be acknowledged that the party decided to boycott the elections, saying that it was an “electoral parody." No wonder they now complain, since this decision made them lose almost any say. It gives the image that the FPI was just too scared of losing to actually go into the election process (at least that’s what I think). To sum up, if we really want to have peace in our country, we should stop looking at the past and focus on the future. By working together, we will achieve greatness. But by pointing at each other “faults”, nothing productive will be done.

GP: Egypt Court Overturns Sacking

Guest Post by Hazem from Egypt

Egypt Court Overturns Morsi Sacking of Top Prosecutor

President Morsi of Egypt sacked a top prosecutor, but a court has now overturned that action. This decisions calls for as much jubilation as it does for concern. On one hand, it takes away significant credibility from the notion that Morsi is the absolute dictator of the country, but on the other hand, it raises fears as to who exactly holds power in the Egyptian government. Egyptians have suffered for too long from power vacuums and internal political struggle and therefore I can't help but feel nervous over another one in Morsi's regime. 

President Morsi

A few months back, I remember riding in the car with my dad as we listened to the radio and together heard that Morsi had illegitimately removed a prosecutor stirring trouble for the Brotherhood. I remember my father sighing heavily and muttering "This is the beginning."

Though I am not around him right now, I am sure he is as confused as I am. This judicial battle between the protection of the Brotherhood and the reservation of the rights promised by the 2011 revolution for now is putting the Egyptian people on edge as we wait to see what it could mean for the future politically. Will Morsi accept the legal rights of the court and their overturning of his word or will he follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and crush our hopes for an authoritarian free-future? I'm hoping for the former but for now I am actually feeling very optimistic about the court's decision. There is finally someone with some power firmly standing up to the Brotherhood and actually stopping them.

GP: Senegal's Prez Breaks Travel Record

Guest Post: Mouhammad from Senegal

After one year of governance, the expectations are still high for Senegalse president, S.E. Mr. Macky Sall. His first year as a president was characterized by a crisis despite his efforts against inflation. He is also very popular for putting on trial authorities from the previous regime for illicit accumulation of wealth. Indeed, upon election, Macky Sall confessed that nothing was left of the State’s budget, that the previous regime had emptied all the accounts.

President Macky Sall

Two weeks after his inauguration, Macky Sall flew with his presidential aircraft to Paris: “to sustain the relationships between France and Senegal but also to seek aid.” What the Senegalese saw as a promising beginning might have been the symptoms of Macky’s love for traveling. Not even a term after his election, the president decided to go on holidays and was convinced of the need to fly all the way to South Africa to find rest.  In fact, between March 2012 and March 2013, Mr. Macky Sall traveled 23 times, filling the shoes of his predecessor and nearly breaking president Obama’s personal record of 25 international trips in 2009.

It is not a surprise to the Senegalese population that Mr. Sall’s decisions spark controversy at such an early stage. His candidacy itself was controversial as he was once Abdoulaye Wade’s prime minister. However, until further notice, traveling this many times while claiming to be given insufficient resources and when the country is in middle of a crisis is the ‘best’ the president has done so far.

Random Mouhammad Thoughts: I find it quite ironic that Macky Sall, who was Abdoulaye Wade’s prime minister and took part in the corrupt activities or at least witnessed them, can stand today and claim that he will bring to justice to anybody involved with such activities. I personally think Macky Sall is using this scandal to cover the lack of results since his election. It is sad that the Senegalese population never elected a president for his competences and projects but always voted to overthrow the previous regime (2000, 2012). Macky Sall in spite of his lack of aspirations for the country was voted for by the population. I hope he will come up with interesting projects –which he has not done yet- and carry them out successfully.

GP: HIV Patients Shun Meds for Prayer

2,248 HIV Patients Shun Medication for Prayer Camps

Guest Post: Julia from Ghana

There's Ghana!

A total of 2,248 persons living with HIV on antiretroviral treatment across the country have shunned medication, seeking healing at prayer camps and from traditional healers, an AIDS commission workshop has revealed. These people only return to the hospital after cases have worsened.

The Ghana AIDS Commission in collaboration with the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and Philadelphia FIGHT, a non-governmental organization based in the United States organised a day-long workshop for traditional healers, religious leaders, civil society organizations and health personnel in Koforidua on Friday.

The workshop's goal was to provide an update on the current trend and development on HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services and to discuss means of strengthening effective collaboration and partnership among the stakeholders on the subject matter. At the end of the workshop, traditional healers and the religious leaders agreed that it was imperative that they worked hand-in-hand with the professional medical practitioners and the coordinators to deliver effective services for People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV).

The traditional healers and the religious leaders deemed it very important to create offices at their centers to host health personnel such as midwives and AIDS workers, who would offer HIV tests for their clients before commencing their treatment or services.

Stakeholders at the workshop called on the Ghana Health Service and the AIDS Commission to set up a team whose function would be to identify all traditional healers and prayer camps and to establish a relationship with them to exchange methods of treatment of PLHIV. It also planned regular workshops for the traditional healers and prayer camp operators and regular supporting supervision on their activities in order to save many HIV and AIDS victims who neglected their anti-retroviral treatment for prayers or unsuccessful herbal treatment. Finally, the workshop identified stigmatization as a very huge difficulty in reducing HIV and AIDS issues, claiming that all hands must be on deck to stop stigmatizing PLHIVs since they are humans just like any other person.

Random Julia Thoughts: Unregulated traditional and religious ‘healers’ are a health risk to Ghanaians. They are allowed to advertise their ‘clinics’ on national television, wearing white jackets with stethoscopes hanging down their necks. I bet that half of them can’t even spell ‘stethoscope’! Mind you real doctors are banned from advertising any of their clinics.

I do understand that traditional healing has been around for generations and there are some concoctions that work. Those authentic treatments should be registered with the government and all concoctions should be required to meet health guidelines. However, many treatments delivered by these people are pure nonsense, sometimes even poisonous. Allowing traditional ‘healers’ to deliver and advertise the ‘cures’ for HIV/AIDS is utterly insane!

Both my parents are doctors in Ghana; countless times they have seen patients who have wasted hundreds of dollars at these traditional healers’ ‘clinics’. One patient even got his leg severely burnt at one traditional ‘clinic’; apparently sitting under a burning chair is therapeutic! Such patients end up coming to real hospitals half-dead and without any money remaining for real medicine.

I understand that many of these healers cling to tradition or culture to escape regulation. But, people are dying of HIV/AIDS. And when people are dying we cannot negotiate with quacks. What we need to do is educate the public on the facts and credible treatments, while suing anyone with false claims of possessing an HIV/AIDS cure.

Ghanaian traditional ‘healers’ cannot treat HIV/AIDS and involving them in the ‘stakeholder system’ will just give them false credibility among their already confused patients.