Give Ghana's democracy a chance to grow - Prez

Page 24: Daily Graphic, November 24, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
PRESIDENT John Agyekum Kufuor has called on Ghanaians to give the country’s budding democracy a chance to grow by respecting its electoral processes and conducting election campaigns with decorum.
“In fact, crying wolf, trumpeting imaginary electoral malpractice, using offensive and abusive language, wilfully preaching deceit just for winning political power will not be fair and rewarding to Ghana,” he stated.
Such tendencies, he noted, only facilitated traumatising political and ethnic intolerance, thereby polarising the nation’s political structures.
President Kufuor made the call in a speech read on his behalf in Koforidua on Saturday during the celebration of the 130th anniversary of the Akwantukese Festival of the chiefs and people of the New Juaben Traditional area and the 16th anniversary of the installation of Daasebre Oti Boateng as the Paramount Chief of the area.
“I, therefore, appeal, once more, to all political parties and presidential aspirants, as well as their followers, to address themselves to issues that will definitely help the good cause they are endeavouring to achieve in building a peaceful and progressive Ghana as we all want,” he stated.
President Kufuor said every true democrat knew that power was obtained only through the ballot box and that free and fair elections were either won or lost.
According to him, the outcome was the voice and decision of the people which should be respected by all and sundry.
He said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) should never destroy the nation just for political power, saying that was not the trait of the Danquah-Busia tradition.
“As believers in democracy, we are also respecters of its tenets, especially the outcome of elections conducted in an atmosphere of peace and on a level playing field,” he added.
He said the government had absolute confidence in the electoral process, as well as the Electoral Commission, and “shall never resort to undermining its noble cause and hard-earned international reputation”.
He said it would be absurd for anybody to think that the government would turn round and “throw away the water with the baby” to subvert the very fundamental human rights it was seeking to build.
President Kufuor said Ghana was more important than any political party or individual and it should, thus, be rated supreme to all other aspirations, whether personal or political.
According to him, “we must all learn to accept and subscribe to this important national code with love, respect and humility”.
He said he was convinced that Ghanaians, particularly political leaders and their followers, were all peace-loving and would never disrupt the electoral process and urged Ghanaians to be on guard against the few bad nuts in the system.
President Kufuor said the rule of law and good governance were the two major pillars of peace on which democracy thrived to breed the conducive socio-economic environment necessary for meaningful development in any nation.
He urged Ghanaians to co-operate with the EC, the law enforcement agencies, as well as the various local and international election observers.
President Kufuor called on chiefs, religious and opinion leaders to counsel the youth in their societies to comport themselves during the forthcoming elections.
“They should not allow themselves to be deceived or exploited and used by selfish politicians to disturb the peace we are all presently enjoying, especially before, during and after the elections. The youth must bear in mind that they have more at stake in the welfare of Ghana today than anyone else,” he said.
He made it clear that a devastated Ghana would not present any bright future to them.
He said conflicts rather brought pain, agony and deprivation and in many instances destitution, which in most circumstances rendered people refugees overnight.
President Kufuor urged traditional rulers to inspire the youth to aspire to the principle of believing in one nation with a common destiny and not be the perpetrators of any violence with the potential to tear the nation apart by war and rancour, to the enjoyment of grandiose lifestyles by greedy warlords.
In a welcoming address, Daasebre Oti Boateng noted that the Akwantukese Festival was to keep the people united so that they could help build Ghana into a Paradise.
He expressed regret, however, that Ghana was being torn apart by ethnic politics and urged Ghanaians to avoid that and put the national interest above any other consideration.
He reminded chiefs and elders that it was their duty to protect the people and preserve the resources of the country for the youth, children and posterity, stressing, “We must leave this nation a better place for them.”
Daasebre Oti Boateng urged the youth in the New Juaben municipality to comport themselves and promote peace before, during and after the elections so that their future would not be jeopardised by war and conflict.