Restore democracy in Niger, CUPP charges AU, ECOWAS

<p>Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has condemned in strong terms the military coup d’etat in Niger Republic, describing it “a retrogressive aberration that is inexcusable and absolutely unacceptable in 21st century Africa,” even as it called on the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) as well as the International community to quickly restore democracy back to the country.</p>, <p>CUPP gave this position on Monday in a statement made available to newsmen by its Co-National Spokesperson, Comrade Mark Adebayo, expressing surprise over the action by a military junta in one of the ECOWAS countries.</p>, <p>The Coalition, while maintaining that the coup d’état was retrogressive, inexcusable and absolutely unacceptable, posited that democracy as a system of civilized governance, though not perfect, especially in Africa, remained the only form of government in which the people have a feeling of inclusion in how they are governed and who governs them.</p>, <p>According to CUPP, people cannot have a situation in which they are governed at gunpoint, saying such amounted to robbing the citizens of their rights at gunpoint.</p>, <p>“A military junta silences the people and suffocates the franchise of choice in every way possible.</p>, <p>“It maybe true that democracy in Africa is mostly not being properly managed, but a military takeover of government is not in anyway a solution to the challenges of democracy in Africa.</p>, <p>“With the benefit of historical hindsight, this is even more so as the military have hardly been any better than the civilians they overthrow. Military governments in Africa have tended to be as corrupt, if not more corrupt and oppressive than the civilians they’ve overthrown.</p>, <p>“In the exchange of political fire between the military and civilian political elites in any given African country, the citizens have always been the victims and often worse off than the previous experience,” the Coalition stated.</p>, <p>“The euphoria of a violent change of g