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Mbeki champions democracy

    JOHANNESBURG
    South African President Thabo Mbeki appealed to African leaders on Monday to embrace multi-party democracy. Speaking to electoral commissioners from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries at a meeting in the Tanzanian capital, Mbeki said: "Peace and stability ... can be guaranteed only if we establish the democratic institutions and entrench such democratic practices as would enable us to resolve conflicts and address contending claims by peaceful means." Mbeki rejected the "no-party democracy" system favoured by countries such as Rwanda and Uganda, which he said did not encourage transparent or accountable government, and allowed a narrow political elite to retain power, news reports said.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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