Democrat Union of Africa

The Democracy Union of Africa is an alliance of centre-right political parties in Africa. Founded in Dakar, Senegal, in 1997, it is affiliated with the global International Democracy Union.^[1] It aims to bring together parties with similar aims and political goals, such as the protection of democracy and individual liberty, from the whole of Africa, with its headquarters being found in Accra, Ghana.

Democracy Union of Africa

Abbreviation	DUA
Formation	1997
Founded at	Dakar, Senegal
Location	Accra, Ghana
Region	Africa
Honorable Patron	Nana Akufo-Addo
Chairman	McHenry Venaani
Affiliations	International Democracy Union

2019 Meeting in Accra, Ghana

A meeting of the Democracy Union of Africa occurred with the support of the IDU on 3–5 February 2019 in Accra, Ghana.^[2] 17 parties from within the DUA were represented at this meeting.^[3]

The Meeting was opened by the Secretary General of Ghana's New Patriotic Party, John Bouadu.^[4] President of the Popular Democratic Movement, McHenry Venaani, was elected chairman of DUA at this meeting, and President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo took the role as Honorary Patron of the Democratic Union of Africa. The title was accepted for him on his behalf by Vice-President of Ghana, H:E Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.^[5]

In an address to Ghanaian media at the meeting in Accra, IDU Secretary General Christian Kattner said that, ‘we need a strong Democracy Union of Africa offering a sustainable network for political parties on the African continent, fighting together for freedom and democracy in order to ensure a better life of all people of Africa.’^[6]

Interim Steering Committee

The Interim Steering Committee was elected at the Meeting in Accra in February 2019. The results of the election are as follows;^[7]

• Chairman: Mr McHenry Venaani, Leader of the Opposition and President of the Popular Democratic Movement of Namibia
• Vice-Chairman for North Africa: Mr. Rahhal El Makkaoui, Member of the Executive Committee in Charge of International Relations, Istiqlal Party, Morocco
• Vice-Chairman for East Africa: Mrs. Ingrid Turinawe Kamateneti, Secretary for Mobilization, Forum for Democratic Change, Uganda
• Vice Chairman for West Africa: Mr. John Boadu, Secretary General, New Patriotic Party, Ghana
• Representative: Mrs. Linette Olofsson, Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Democratic Movement, Mozambique, for women and for the Portuguese-speaking communities of Africa
• Representative: Mrs. N’guessan Edwidge Wassa Aamoin, Parti Democratique, Côte d`Ivoire, for youth and the French-speaking communities of Africa

Member parties

Full Members

Country	Party	Abbr	Color	Upper house legislative seats	Lower house legislative seats	Status
Angola	National Union for the Total Independence of Angola	UNITA	Red and Green	Unicameral legislature only	90 / 220	In opposition
Côte d'Ivoire	Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire – African Democratic Rally	PDCI-RDA	Green	Unicameral legislature only	77 / 255	Junior party in government coalition
Equatorial Guinea	Union of the Centre-Right	UCD	Blue	0 / 70	0 / 100	Extra-parliamentary opposition
Ghana	New Patriotic Party	NPP	Red, Blue, and White	Unicameral legislature only	137 / 275	In government
Kenya	Democratic Party	DP	Green, Orange	0 / 67	0 / 349	Extra-parliamentary opposition
	Kenya Africa National Union	KANU	Black, Red and Green	3 / 67	10 / 349	In opposition
Lesotho	Basotho National Party	BNP	Blue, White, Red, and Green	Senate members are tribal leaders or appointees	1 / 120	In opposition
Liberia	Unity Party	UP	Green and Maroon	13 / 30	10 / 73	In opposition
Malawi	Malawi Congress Party	MCP	Black, Red, and Green	Unicameral legislature only	55 / 193	In government
	People's Party	PP	Orange, Black & White	Unicameral legislature only	5 / 193	In opposition
Morocco	Istiqlal Party	Istiqlal	Mauve, Pink	17 / 120	81 / 395	In government
Mozambique	Mozambican National Resistance	RENAMO	Black, Red, Blue, White	Unicameral legislature only	60 / 250	In opposition
Namibia	Popular Democratic Movement	PDM	Blue, White and Red	2 / 42	16 / 104	In opposition
Nigeria	People's Democratic Party	PDP	Green, White and Red	36 / 109	118 / 360	In opposition
Seychelles	New Democratic Party	NDP	Blue	Unicameral legislature only	0 / 31	Extra-parliamentary opposition
Sierra Leone	Sierra Leone People's Party	SLPP	Green	Unicameral legislature only	81 / 149	In government
South Africa	African Christian Democratic Party	ACDP	Red and Blue	1 / 430	3 / 400	In opposition
	Inkatha Freedom Party	IFP	Red, White, Black, Green, and Yellow	2 / 90	17 / 400	In government
Tanzania	Party for Democracy and Progress	CHADEMA	Red, Blue, and White	Unicameral legislature only	20 / 393	In opposition
Uganda	Democratic Party	DP	Green	Unicameral legislature only	9 / 529	In opposition
	Forum for Democratic Change	FDC	Blue	Unicameral legislature only	32 / 529	In opposition

Observer members

Country	Party	Abbr	Color	Upper house legislative seats	Lower house legislative seats	Status
Sierra Leone	People's Movement for Democratic Change	PMDC	Green, Orange	Unicameral legislature only	0 / 149	Extra-parliamentary opposition

Footnotes

1. Burnell, Peter J. (2006). Globalizing Democracy: Party Politics in Emerging Democracies. London: Taylor & Francis. p. 153. ISBN 978-0-415-40184-5.
2. "International Democracy Union on Instagram: "Democracy Union of Africa Meeting 2019 #DUA2019"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
3. "International Democracy Union on Instagram: "The #DUA2019 delegation met today with the Vice-President of Ghana, H.E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia @mbawumia at the Jubilee House. The Vice-…"". Instagram. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
4. "International Democracy Union on Instagram: "New Patriotic Party Secretary General John Bouadu opening the first evening of the meeting of Democracy Union of Africa in Accra, Ghana…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
5. "International Democracy Union on Instagram: "The #DUA2019 delegation met today with the Vice-President of Ghana, H.E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia @mbawumia at the Jubilee House. The Vice-…"". Instagram. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
6. "International Democracy Union on Instagram: "IDU Secretary General Christian Kattner addressing the Ghanaian media about rebuilding a political centre-right alliance in Africa: "We…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
7. "Statement on the Re-establishment of the Democracy Union of Africa | International Democracy Union". 12 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-19.

External links

• Democracy Union of Africa official website