Amb dunn july 4, 2007 speech

I would like to begin by thanking you for joining me and my colleagues from the Embassy and Peace Corps in celebrating the 231st anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 1776, the thirteen North American colonies that were later to become the first thirteen of the United States of America joined together to declare their independence from Great Britain and to found a new nation based on two main premises: that all men are created equal, and that governments must derive their authority from the consent of the governed. The declaration alone was not sufficient to achieve independence – that would require a costly war of independence lasting eight years. Achieving the two main premises is an ongoing process that has occupied successive generations of Americans for the past 231 years.

I feel fortunate to be here in Togo at this critical juncture in the nation’s history. The political leadership – from the opposition as well as the government and traditional ruling party – has agreed on a roadmap for ending the political and economic crisis that has crippled this country for the past fifteen years. A political center – difficult to imagine in mid-2005 – has developed around the shared goal of fundamental democratic reform, as articulated in the Global Political Agreement. The ability of this center to survive and flourish will be crucial to the nation’s prospects. In this context (A cet egard), I have been impressed with the ability of Togo’s politicians and political parties to balance the needs of the nation, in terms of reforming the institutional framework, with their own interests as political entities competing for electoral advantage. Dwight Eisenhower, who preceded John F. Kennedy as United States president during the 1950’s, perhaps described the phenomenon of the political center best, “People talk about the middle of the road as though it were unacceptable. Actually, all human problems, excepting morals, come into the gray areas. Things are not all black and white. There have to be compromises. The middle of the road is all of the usable surface. The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters.”

A key step (etape) on the political roadmap is the upcoming legislative elections. Under the leadership of my colleagues from the United Nations Development Program and the European Union, whom I salute this evening, the donors are working with the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Government to ensure that these elections are conducted freely, fairly, transparently, and efficiently and reflect the will of the people. Those who would seek to undermine or divert the process, regardless of their position, will jeopardize the best chance Togo has had in many years to return to a path of hope and prosperity. Also at stake, is the prospect of  reengagement with Togo’s international partners, including the United States. The reform process will not end with the legislative elections, but will require continued efforts by all the players (acteurs politiques). Democracy is hard work. As Winston Churchill once said, "Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."

Less newsworthy, but also critically important for ending Togo’s economic crisis is the process of reengagement that the government has undertaken with the international finance institutions, notably the International Monetary Fund. With the successful completion of the shadow (or interim if translation is difficult) program the government signed last year, negotiations for the full resumption of an IMF program in Togo will begin later this year. It will be important for the government and its economic partners, notably the labor unions, to continue to adhere to the tight budgetary framework required under the agreement if the full benefits of renewed partnership with the Fund, the World Bank, and other international financial institutions, are to be achieved. In this regard, the efforts by the government to enforce tax collection are an important tool in meeting its budgetary goals as well as in combating corruption.

The past year saw an important change for the United States Embassy in Togo. On December 18, 2006, we moved to a new chancery in Lomé II. Until the time of the move, the Embassy had only one home, adjacent to the Grand Marché in central Lomé. As I said during the formal inauguration in April, the new Chancery attests to the importance of our bilateral relationship and is a vote of confidence in Togo’s future. It is that relationship, and that future, that I ask you to join me in toasting tonight.