GHANA NEEDS PEACE

Page 7: Daily Graphic, April 19, 2012. ELECTIONS offer the electorate the opportunity to freely choose their leaders and that is what the platform provided by the biometric voters registration exercise offers Ghanaians to either re-elect President J.E.A. Mills or vote for any of the presidential candidates in the December 2012 polls. The fate of Ghana and the quality of life of its citizens will be in the hands of the government that will be elected in December. That exercise is a civic duty by all Ghanaians and a measure of their patriotism. The registration exercise is a fantastic opportunity to give our political leaders the strong mandate to lead our great nation in peace and unity. What is worrying, however, is that the exercise is fraught with tension and intermittent outbreaks of violence in which some people are said to have lost their lives. But we must bear in mind that whichever political party wins in December, Ghanaians want a peaceful country to live in. We all want peace and tranquillity to get on with our lives. The Daily Graphic passionately appeals to all Ghanaians to always act within the law. Presumably, the people responsible for the disturbances at the registration centres thought they were protecting the system and the rights of the political parties they support. We should all have the passion to be vigilant. Ghanaians must watch the registration exercise with eagle eyes and do so to ensure that it is transparent and fair. But it will be criminal and counter-productive to take the law into one’s hands in matters that are so critical to the stability of the state. The Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, has said time and again that it is important to have a fair and transparent electoral system and that free and fair elections can only be attained through the vigilance of the people. What we are planning to do in December is just an election, not a war. That is why we must not approach it with an attitude of victory at all cost and by all means. This is because an election victory that is not won fairly is a recipe for disaster. What has happened over the last three weeks paints a gloomy picture of the road to Election 2012. Already, the National Enforcement Body of the 2012 Political Parties Code of Conduct has raised the red flag about the blatant disregard of the code by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) during the registration exercise. It noted that supporters and leaders of the political parties had engaged in acts to incite violence, using hate speech and statements, as well as accusations and counter-accusations. It also noted that media reportage and discussions had exacerbated the political atmosphere. The power of the media, especially radio, has made it possible for people to communicate with one another instantly. But we must realise and respect the power for good and for evil that the media place in our hands, for, if we cry “fire” in a crowded theatre, the likelihood is that we shall all perish. Ghanaians have lived together as people from different ethnic groups with different beliefs for many years. We have discovered the value of peace and living together. Inter-ethnic and religious marriages now abound throughout the country. However, our democracy is at the crossroads. Over the last few days, we have behaved as if there is nothing positive in good neighbourliness. Some of our contemporaries have fought street battles with the police, while others have carried offensive weapons without the police winking an eye. Whatever statement the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, Mr Kennedy Agyapong, is said to have made was provocative, irresponsible and reprehensible. But this beautiful country of ours can continue to be the toast of the world if the state is fair in the application of the law, otherwise the state that is supposed to protect the citizens will end up abusing their rights. The principle is that everybody is a potential accused person, as he/she can fall foul of the law. What is essential is that the rules will apply in dealing with such a person, otherwise we will return to the state of nature where might is right. The Daily Graphic appeals to the police to enforce the law as evenly as possible, so that the perception is not created in sections of the public that there is selective justice in our land. Again, we appeal to our colleagues in the media to be circumspect in their reportage and desist from giving their platform to people who use intemperate language. The Daily Graphic calls on all Ghanaians to look into the future with confidence and have faith in our leaders and institutions to be able to steer the affairs of state from now to the elections in December and thereafter.