( CNN ) -- Words like `` landmark '' and `` historic '' are being used to describe this week 's U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit . More than 40 heads of state , the President , dozens of American CEOs , celebrities , activists and several members of Congress -- myself included -- are participating in the three-day event . Every issue affecting the continent , from combating wildlife trafficking to food security , is on the agenda . Yet , of the 53 hours of official meetings scheduled for the summit , only two are dedicated to the critical issue of governance . That is scant treatment for what is perhaps the greatest impediment to security and economic growth in Africa . It also sends the wrong message about our shared priorities and values . In Africa , electing fresh , new leaders is not something people do often . Consider this : The 10 current longest-serving African leaders have held their offices for a total of 252 years . Three of these leaders ( Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe , Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea , and Omar el-Bashir of Sudan ) have not been invited to the summit because they are in poor standing with the United States . Of those receiving an invite , Rwanda 's Paul Kagame and Uganda 's Yoweri Museveni were unwisely hailed as `` new African leaders '' during the Clinton administration , while others came to power when Jimmy Carter was in the Oval Office . Needless to say , presidents serving in their 25th year generally do n't promote free and fair elections and good governance . Elections are a pillar of democracy and good governance . When conducted freely , fairly and regularly , they give citizens their most effective tool for holding their leaders accountable and pressing policy makers for action and reform . In fact , the World Bank has shown that political competition , primarily through elections , is associated with improvements to a country 's business environment . Not only do elections bolster economies , they can improve security . Take , for example , Liberia . Decades of protracted conflict and a deadly civil war resulted from corruption and massive human rights abuses by war criminal Charles Taylor , along with the political exclusion of whole swaths of the country 's populace . But inclusive and democratic elections in 2006 brought to power Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , Africa 's first elected female head of state . Now , Liberia is experiencing a much-needed period of political reconciliation and improved security . While Liberians certainly still face a number of challenges -- including the recent Ebola outbreak -- inclusive elections have proven to be a stabilizing force in West Africa . Despite the overstay of too many African leaders , there are reasons for hope . Eleven African countries are planning to hold elections next year , and 15 more countries have an election scheduled for 2016 . In the next two years , more than half the leaders in sub-Saharan Africa are slated to stand for re-election . Each election day in these countries over the next two years will be a defining moment for the future of governance across the continent . 5 reasons Obama 's Africa leaders ' summit matters . The United States can not be absent during this critical transition . We should support programs that improve the transparency of elections and encourage the peaceful transfer of power , which , unfortunately , far too many Africans have yet to see . Most importantly , the United States should push back on those leaders who seek to amend their constitutions to create imperial , indefinite presidencies . Two leaders most recently accused of seeking such constitutional changes -- Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso -- are in town for the Summit . Allowing them to return home without pressing for free , fair and regular elections would be an affront to the citizens of these two countries . Opinion : Africa and U.S. : Invest in human rights . President Obama once pressed for good governance aggressively . In 2009 , when he traveled to Ghana and addressed that country 's parliament , he took a `` no excuses '' approach toward African leaders . In an interview just before landing on the continent , the President noted that , `` I 'm a big believer that Africans are responsible for Africa ... for many years we 've made excuses about corruption or poor governance ; that this was somehow the consequence of neo-colonialism , or the West has been oppressive , or racism . I 'm not a believer in excuses . ... I think that it 's very important for African leadership to take responsibility and be held accountable . '' Nice words , unfortunately undermined by a summit agenda that shorts good governance . Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion .
Rep. Ed Royce applauds Africa summit , but says it should focus more on governance . He says in Africa , electing fresh , new leaders is not something people do often . Score: 7