Rwanda and Ghana have become the first countries to bare it all before a panel of distinguished African experts as part of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). Though critical areas of intervention have been highlighted, the completion of the stocktaking would have strengthened the hand of those who will be arguing Africa’s case at the G8 meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland, next month.
No wonder Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Tejan Kabba of Sierra Leone, John Kufuor of Ghana and Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria declared themselves satisfied with the reports.
The peer review mechanism has become the benchmark for measuring the success of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad). Four more country reviews are expected by the end of the year.
The first pair of reports — 250 pages apiece — gives the Nepad steering committee an opportunity to show the G8 and other donor countries that their funds will not be squandered.
Presented by panel chairperson Marie-Angelique Savane of Cameroon, the reports focused on democracy and political governance, economic governance and management.
The panel commended Ghana for building and maintaining peace and tranquillity through three elections that have seen a change in president as well as a power shift.
It acknowledged efforts to broaden the space for national dialogue and urged the country to ratify outstanding standards and codes outlined by the APRM. The report noted potential areas of dispute over land, chieftaincy and politics and asked Ghana to streamline the effectiveness of the separation of powers.
Concern was expressed about the size of its 88-member executive and the presence of the ministry of parliamentary affairs, which blurs the line between the executive and the legislature. A call was made to include more women in government and the decision-making processes.
The report presented Ghana’s economy as being relatively weak and highly vulnerable to external shocks, especially the vagaries of world trade and sub-regional political instability.
Turning to Rwanda, the panel noted that the country has ratified all the codes and standards established for good governance but that reporting mechanisms were lacking.
Rwanda was urged to harmonise its domestic laws to international standards, deepen national reconciliation and encourage inclusiveness, to win the trust of all citizens.
The report commends Rwanda for having the highest proportion of women in Parliament (49%) and 36% in the Cabinet.
On economic governance and management, the panel recommended continuation of public finance reforms, improved capacity to review economic documents and policies, a broadened tax base and increased capacity of the Rwandan Parliament to review economic documents.
The reports will be tabled at the African Union summit in Sirte, Libya, next month, but will not be published for six months.
African leaders insist that peer review should not give rise to punitive action. South Africa’s chief director for African multilateral affairs, Jessie Duarte, told a seminar this week: ”What should we do with Rwanda, for example, when it reveals its shortcomings and explains that these are a result of a lack of infrastructure? How can we possibly punish it for that?”
At the very least, though, donor countries are looking for firm and concrete action to stop fiscal indiscipline or impropriety and human rights violations.
”We are not before the forum as people in the dock. We are here among brothers to see our reflection so that we can correct the path we make in terms of governance and good leadership for economic development and upholding human rights,” said Kufuor.
Kagame views it as ”a good learning process … we look forward to working with others as we carry out corrective measures where weaknesses have been identified and I think that is really the purpose”.
Within a year Ghana and Rwanda will report on their progress in taking up slack revealed in the APRM reports.