•Planned events in Dar es Salaam still will go ahead
No ex-African leader will receive the Mo Ibrahim’s $5 million prize for achievement in good governance this year as the foundation has made a decision not to award the Sudanese magnate prize for 2009.
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s prize which is in its third year is for African democratically elected ex-leaders who have demonstrated good governance and served their term in office within limits set by their country’s constitution and then left office.
Mo’s committee, in a release did not give reasons for its decision not to award any prize this year, but said that “this year the Prize Committee has considered some credible candidates. However, after in-depth review, the Prize Committee could not select a winnerâ€Â.
The foundation though made it clear during its launching that there may be years when no prize would be given. Sources, however, said that “recent evidence of the prize’s effectiveness across Africa is not encouraging as Uganda, Chad, and Cameroon have all changed their constitutions so that their leaders can retain their positionsâ€Â.
Equally, there have been “coups in Guinea, Mauritania and Madagascar, as well as several elections that fell well short of international standardsâ€Â.
The Foundation, according to the release, was established to stimulate debate around, and improve the quality of African governance. It said although there is much focus on the prize, but the foundation is also engaged in many other activities to help improve governance and central to this is the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, which the foundation published earlier this month which gives information to all citizens about the performance of their countries.
The board of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation also confirmed that despite the fact that there is no laureate this year, the planned events in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 14 and 15 of November will go ahead.
These events, it said, will include a discussion forum that will bring together stakeholders to discuss issues that are key to Africa’s future progress including climate, justice, agriculture and food security and regional economic integration.
According to Mo Ibrahim, “at a time when, we are seeing overall progress in Africa, despite worrying setbacks in some countries, it is vital that African stakeholders and institutions come together to look for a way forward on the major challenges facing the African continentâ€Â.
The previous winners of the Ibrahim prize are the former presidents of Botswana and Mozambique, Festus Mogae and Joaquim Chissano, respectively, and Nelson Mandela for his extraordinary leadership qualities and achievements.
The committee is chaired by UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, and supported by other six other eminent individuals.