Accra, Sept. 14, GNA - The Institute of Democracy in Africa (Idasa) on Monday called on political leaders on the continent to take up the challenge of strengthening and supporting democratic governance systems within Africa.

In a statement received in Accra, the South African-based Idasa said it was commemorating International Democracy Day by extending its campaign for the endorsement of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, written by the African Union, and called on more governments to sign the Charter.

It said this campaign was a joint project of Idasa and the Africa Democracy Forum (ADF).

The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, which was adopted in January 2007, has to date been signed by 26 countries in Africa, but has only been ratified by Mauritania and Ethiopia. The statement said: "Despite the scourge of corruption and non-accountability in many African states, and the challenges of HIV/AIDS, human insecurities and climate change across the continent, building democracy in Africa is a task that cannot be delegated to other countries and governments who are friends of Africa; this remains a challenge for Africans themselves."

The United Nations declared September 15 International Day of Democracy on November 8 2007, and invited all member states, non-governmental organisations and individuals to honour this important day and to make sure that citizens and civil society are given an appropriate opportunity to be involved in, and contribute to its celebration.

The statement said last year Idasa commemorated the first International Day of Democracy by planting a tree for democracy at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg. It said through its various projects all over Africa, Idasa continued to plant "trees of democracy" by encouraging active citizenship, building democratic institutions and advocating for social justice.

It said through its governance programmes, Idasa aims to embed a culture of democracy within an African context, bringing to the forefront issues relevant to the notions of democracy, including traditional leadership, democracy and religion. The statement said: "While appreciating the universality of democracy we need to strengthen and support democratic governance systems within the African context.

"We are encouraged to see ongoing SADC commitment to keeping Zimbabwe and Swaziland on its agenda and continue to hope that an amicable solution to the stalemate in Madagascar will soon be found. "On this global day of democracy, dedication to finding lasting peaceful solutions will bring joy to citizens who have been alienated from their public representatives. We need to narrow the gap between the rich and poor, between voters and public representatives, so that all citizens can enjoy the fruits of democracy." 14 Sept. 09