Ghana’s peace at risk in 2016 elections?
“When elections fall victim to ineptitude, careless logistical mistakes and errors of ignorance, voters may assume intentional malfeasance. If such mistakes are made by electoral authorities perceived to be partisan; then voters will have further reason to question the integrity of elections.
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“To protect the integrity of elections, best practice recommends that electoral authorities should be professional, competent, non-partisan and politically independent,” Stephen John Stedman, Deputy Director and senior fellow at the Centre on Democracy, Development and Rule of Law, Stanford University.
Electoral-encyclopaedia
Recent developments on the Ghanaian electoral front have forced me to retrieve and revisit an article I wrote and was published by the Daily Graphic: “www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/51255-afari-gyan-an-electoral-encyclopaedia.html,” on February 27, 2015 “Afari-Gyan: An Electoral Encyclopaedia”.
I was emphatic that: “Anybody who is nominated as the next EC chairman in my estimation may need at least six months tutelage from Dr Afari-Gyan to enable him/her to take over.
“Ghana needs him (Dr Afari-Gyan) to manage a smooth transition to the next EC chairman. This transition period should not be less than six months or Election 2016 may encounter operational hiccups”. I recounted that the former Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, is a man you will hate or love depending where you stand at the end of elections.
I stated that as an: “Electoral reporter, i have had very close working relationship with Dr Afari-Gyan from 1999 up to date. I can confidently say Dr Afari-Gyan (born 18 June, 1945) represents Ghana’s Electoral Commission and the Electoral Commission is the epitome of Dr Afari-Gyan. Indeed, he is a walking electoral encyclopaedia”.
Environment
This was my analysis of the electoral environment in February 2015, five clear months before Dr Afari-Gyan gracefully retired in June, 2015.
Unfortunately, Ghana hurriedly pushed Dr Afari-Gyan out of the fast moving electoral train, “all of a sudden Dr Afari-Gyan and his team were considered as spent forces both within the corridors of the EC and a section of the political class.
“We hailed the appointment of Mrs Charlotte Ama Osei (née Kesson Smith) by President John Dramani Mahama last June 2015 in accordance with Article 70(2) of the 1992 Constitution as chairperson of the EC”.
Monitoring the political environment, I noticed that many pundits underrated and were hypnotised by the beauty, calm and classy nature of Mrs Osei, but alas “underneath that nature – admirable, charismatic, charming, courageous are the other side of her when pushed to the wall, you will find out that she is firm, unyielding, stubborn, excruciating and disciplinary”.
Supreme Court
Covertly and overtly, many who had wanted to take advantage of the exit of the “good old Dr Afari-Gyan” to stampede the new lover-girl did not allow the new electoral guards to disembark before the “Dissidents Forces,” armed with the Supreme Court ruling on the 2012 Presidential Election Petition started firing from all fronts. They sadly noticed that in Mrs Osei it was a matter of “soldier go soldier come”.
The hardliners in a posture to crush or put the fear of God into Mrs Osei (considered ignorantly as electoral novice) to unsettle her and the team…..strategically unleash array of fighters and weapons over the past year, consistently through agitations, demonstrations, picketing, legal entanglement, internal wrangling and media attacks. This has created an uncompromising battleground for Election 2016. The relentless attack aimed at unsettling the new electoral guards was ,however, propelled with precision-guided munitions.
Dr Afari-Gyan — Former EC boss
Administration
Now, Ghana’s electoral battleground a month and a half to Election 2016 is hostile not only among the political parties but the main arbiter, the EC. The EC, instead of focusing on electoral administration, has been forced by avoidable circumstances to be on the defensive and occasionally unleash their own form of attacks on perceived enemy forces. Ghana has since 1992 established a solid foundation for our democratic dispensation but the pillars of our democracy can crush with relentless and consistent attacks on it.
Electoral pundits believed that the EC must vary its war tactics to win both the war and battle for Ghana. Ghana must be a winner at the end of Election 2016. In order to restore trust and confidence in the electoral process and to avoid conflict, the EC and the political parties must use the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) platform for redress.The EC and the political parties must broaden their scope and grounds for diplomatic engagement.
The political parties and scores of individual’s persistent attack also on the integrity of the EC in the media is not healthy as it has the potential of eroding the confidence in our electoral system; sow the seeds of discontent no matter who wins the elections.
The EC has a very good reputation on the African continent and the whole world “we have an electoral tradition to protect”.
Dr John Kudalor, the Inspector General of Police recently hit the nail at the right place, with police precision when he called on all democratic stakeholders to work together to ensure electoral integrity.
“Peaceful and credible elections are the responsibility of all and not only of the EC. Candidates, political parties, civil society organisations (CSOs), religious and traditional leaders, among others, all have a crucial role to play.
“Indeed, the success of the election is going to be achieved through the concerted effort of all including the media, political parties, CSO and all other stakeholders,” Dr Kudalor stated in Accra recently during an encounter with scores of senior media practitioners.
Mr Kofi Annan, a former United Nations Secretary General, has stated that electoral integrity is the foundation of democracy.
Responsive governance
The legitimacy of political institutions enabled both responsive governance and private-sector driven development. When elections are flawed, they corrode public trust and in severe cases, can endanger democracy and even lead to conflict.
“I saw how harmful flawed elections can be following the disputed presidential elections in Kenya in December 2007. The post-election violence caused tremendous damage and loss, resulting in the deaths of 1,300 people and the displacement of over 600,000,” he said.
As the electoral clock ticktacks, Ghanaians have a major responsibility to commit to helping ensure that the polls are free, fair and credible.
The National Peace Council, religious bodies, traditional leaders, among others, must lead a mediating role, play neutral role in posture and pronouncement. Civil society groups must begin working behind the scenes as happened during the challenging moments of Election 2012.
The work of some leading CSO groups largely helped in stabilising the nation after the announcement of Election 2012 results. Let’s act now. No passive player in the quest for peaceful elections.
Our two former Presidents – Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor, former UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, and other distinguished, as well as eminent leaders must act now to protect the PEACE Ghana has enjoyed over the years.
Some EC officials who are also constantly leaking vital electoral details and information to some political parties and individuals must be cautious as the act has the potential of dragging the nation into electoral crisis.
OUR PEACE IS AT RISK!!! LET’S WORK TO PROTECT IT.
Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult
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