Ghana's former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings has said the cost of a military intervention in Ivory Coast will be far higher financially and economically than seeking a re-election or a recount. Former President Rawlings was speaking at a dinner reception hosted by His Excellency Kwesi Quartey, Ghana's Ambassador to Ethiopia at his residence in Addis Ababa. Defending his stance against a military intervention in the tense standoff in the West Africa nation, Rawlings who is also the African Union (AU) High Representative for Somalia said, "if Africa wants to reject coup d'etats then we must replace it with an electoral process that has integrity "If we replace coups with an electoral process that lacks integrity then people will be asking what is the difference between this and a coup." The former president said he believed a re-evaluation of the vote in Ivory Coast as suggested by South Africa's Jacob Zuma and Uganda's Yoweri Museveni will be setting a precedent which will affect some of the questionable leaders on the continent and "may be some of us do not want that". "If some of us are insisting that we do not want to recognise the sanctity of the right of election, the integrity of the process and the election results and we are insisting on the military factor, what interpretation do most people put on it?" Former President Rawlings said it was important that a re-evaluation takes place in Ivory Coast so in future some leaders on the continent who have the coercive power of the state do not rig the election and impose the results on the people as the aggrieved electorate can seek a re-evaluation with the precedent that has been established. The AU High Representative also lamented the growing trend where certain world powers have made it a dangerous trend of pronouncing that one leader has stayed in power for too long so every effort will be made to pronounce that leader a loser even if he wins.