Second Nobel Laureate Signs Gdańsk Declaration

The declaration which commits opposition leaders to working together to build open, accountable democracies was signed at the Rolling Back Authoritarianism conference held by The Brenthurst Foundation and the European Solidarity Centre.

African opposition leaders including Uganda’s Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, better known as Bobi Wine, Tanzania’s Zitto Kabwe and Tundu Lissu, South Africa’s John Steenhuisen and VF Hlabisa, Angola’s Adalberto Costa Júnior were among the declaration’s signatories. Zimbabwe’s Tendai Biti has also signed the declaration.

The declaration, which has 21 key points – mirroring the 21 points written by the striking Solidarity workers at the Gdańsk shipyard in the early 1980s, says leaders “Commit to breaking down racial, ethnic, geographical and religious divides in building just, free and fair societies.”

The declaration calls for African opposition leaders to stand united against abuses of elections which frequently lead to despots prolonging their stay in power and for better gender representation.

The declaration was also signed by Nobel laureate and leader of Poland’s Solidarity movement, Lech Walesa and former Ukrainian Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, who both addressed the meeting.

The declaration has now been signed by 58 leaders:

1. Abbasali Haji, East Africa Capital, Tanzania
2. Adalberto Costa Júnior, Leader, UNITA, Angola
3. Alexander Kambili, Germany
4. Alfonso de Prat Gay, Former Minister of the Economy, Argentina
5. Amgad Faried Eltayeb Idris, CEO, Fikra Center for Studies and Development, Egypt
6. Andriy Marasin, former Senior Assistant Defense Attaché, Ukraine
7. Anwar El-Sadat, Leadee, Reform and Development Party, Egypt
8. Arkadiusz Modrzejewski, Director of Institute of Political Science, University of Gdansk, Poland
9. Artis Pabriks, Former Deputy Prime Minister, Latvia
10. Atupele Muluzi,  President, United Democratic Front, Malawi
11. Robert Kyagulanyi “Bobi Wine”, Leader, National Unity Platform, Uganda
12. Branko Brkic, Editor-in-Chief, Daily Maverick, South Africa
13. Christopher Clapham, Professor Emeritus,  Cambridge, UK
14. Cynthia Appenteng, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Foundation, Liberia
15. David Coltart, Founding Member Movement for Democratic Change, Zimbabwe
16. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President of Liberia and Nobel Laureate
17. Geordin Hill-Lewis, Mayor of Cape Town, South Africa
18. Gloria Uwishema Nsengiyumva, Human Rights activist, All for Rwanda, Rwanda
19. Greg Mills, Director, The Brenthurst Foundation, South Africa
20. Gregor Jaecke, Resident Representative, KAS, South Africa
21. Gregory Nemyria, Deputy Chair, Foreign Relations Committee, Rada, Ukraine
22. Holger Dix, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Germany
23. Ian Khama, Former President, Botswana
24. Illia Bozhok, Ukraine
25. Ivone Soares, Member of Parliament, RENAMO, Mozambique
26. Jawar Mohammed, Founder, Oromia Media Network, Ethiopia
27. Jędrzej Czerep, Head, Polish Institute of International Affairs, Poland
28. John Githongo, CEO, Inuka, Kenya
29. John Steenhuisen, Leader, Democratic Alliance, South Africa
30. Juan Carlos Pinzón, Former Defence Minister, Colombia
31. Kate Almquist Knopf, Senior Advisor, WestExec Advisors, US
32. Khemaies Jhinaoui, Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Tunisia
33. Kizza Besigye, President, Forum for Democratic Change, Uganda
34. Lech Wałęsa, Former President, Poland
35. Leopoldo Lopèz, Opposition Leader, Venezuela
36. Luis Franceschi, Assistant Secretary General, The Commonwealth, UK
37. Luke Pato, Bishop, Anglican Church of Southern Africa, South Africa
38. Lutero Simango, President Democratic Movement of Mozambique, Mozambique
39. Marcos Peña,  former Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, Argentina
40. McHenry Venaani, President, Popular Democratic Movement, Namibia
41. Mpumelelo Mkhabela, Political Analyst,  South Africa
42. Moeketsi Majoro, former Prime Minister, Lesotho
43. Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of Centre for Civil Liberties, Nobel Laureate, Ukraine
44. Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President, Nigeria
45. Omer Ismail, Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Sudan
46. Paula Cristina Roque, Political Affairs Analyst, Portugal
47. Raila Odinga, Former Prime Minister, Kenya
48. Ray Hartley, Research Director, The Brenthurst Foundation, South Africa
49. Robin Auld, Artiste, south Africa
50. Roelf Meyer, CEO, In Transformation, South Africa
51. Roland Freudenstein, Vice-President, Globsec, Belgium
52. Sanyaolu Ayowole Oluwajuwon, African Action Congress, Nigeria
53. Tendai Biti, Former Zimbabwe Finance Minister, CCC, Zimbabwe
54. Tundu Lissu, MP, CHADEMA, Tanzania
55. Velenkosini Hlabisa, President, Inkatha Freedom Party, South Africa
56. Venâncio Mondlane, MP, RENAMO, Mozambique
57. Winnie Odinga, EAC Member of Parliament, Kenya
58. Yulia Tymoshenko, former Prime Minister, Ukraine
59. Zitto Kabwe, Leader, ACT-Wazalendo, Tanzania

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