From Benjamin Mensah, GNA Special Correspondent, Tripoli, Libya

Tripoli (Libya), Dec. 1, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills on Monday reiterated the collective sovereignty of the people in modern democracies and called for respect for the will of the people in the governance process.

He indicated that the growth of democracy on the African Continent had made unconstitutional change of governments a thing of the past, and stressed the need for the people and leaders to allow the laid down constitutional provisions to govern the affairs of the nations. President Mills made the call when he held bilateral discussions with Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Union Council, on the sidelines of the just-ended third African-EU Summit in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. The two day summit attracted over 80 countries from the African and European continents to discuss a wide range of issues including governance, migration, agriculture, energy and infrastructure, and the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).

President Mills observed that the growth of democratic governance in the Africa region was on course, and under no circumstances should the will and mandate of the people be usurped unconstitutionally to thwart the course of democracy.

He urged the parties contesting the Ivorian presidential election which has gone into a run-off, to respect the will of the people and to maintain peace in that country.

President Mills, who was recently in Nigeria and La Cote d'Ivoire on consultations for peaceful elections in those nations, commended Togo and other nations for holding on to democracy, adding that the continent was showing a fair commitment to democratic governance.

President Mills assured the European Union that unconstitutional rule was a thing of the past in Africa, and urged the EU to take advantage of the stable political environment in Ghana and the rest of Africa to increase investment on the continent for the mutual benefit of their peoples. Describing the EU as 'a reliable partner', President Mills expressed appreciation to the Union for its development assistance to Africa, and stressed an effective collaboration for the development of infrastructure in the areas of railways, roads, water, energy and agricultural sectors. On the constitutional reforms in Ghana, President Mills said the need had arisen to make amendments to facilitate the growth of democracy in the country.

Mr Rompuy commended Ghana on her democratic progress, and said the European Union would continue to collaborate with progressive governments to improve upon the lives of the people. President Mills also held discussions with Togolese leader Faure Gnyassingbe, President Yahya Boni of Benin, Ali Bongo of Congo and Mbassongo of Equatorial Guinea. 01 Dec. 10