No 2012 winner for foundation's US$5m award for good governance in Africa
Former leaders deemed to be unworthy of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation award for governance
It's the biggest cash prize available to former leaders of African countries, and no one was worthy this year - again.
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation announced yesterday that it would not award its US$5 million (HK$38.8 million) prize for good governance that recognises democratically elected African leaders who excel in office and - critically - leave when they are supposed to.
The prize committee said it reviewed several former leaders but decided that none met the award criteria. The group did not reveal who was considered. Any African leader who left office in the last three years was eligible.
Africa on the whole is making political and economic progress but some of the more than 50 countries on the continent are still ruled by men who stay in office for decades. And some leaders who have stepped down from power over the past three years had blemished records.
Mo Ibrahim, a British mobile phone magnate who was born in Sudan, said he was not disappointed that no winner emerged.
"Not at all. This is a prize for exceptional leadership, and we don't need to go through the motions to just find anybody," he said. "We have a wonderful prize committee which comprises some wonderful men and women, and they set really high standards."
The prize has been awarded three times in its six-year history. Former Cape Verde president, Pedro Pires, won last year. In 2008 Festus Mogae, of Botswana, won. In 2007, it was Joaquim Chissano, of Mozambique. No award was given in 2009 and 2010.