US, Ghana partnership will continue under Trump - Ambassador Jackson
The US Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Robert P. Jackson, has stated that the US focus, will continue to be supporting a prosperous and democratic Ghana under President-Elect, Donald Trump.
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He said the US and Ghana would continue to work together towards the overall development of the country.
“The United States and Ghana have a strong, productive partnership. We are allies, and we will continue to work together on issues of economic growth, health, education, security, agriculture and more.
“Our programmes in Africa have tremendous bipartisan support, and we do everything we can to ensure our colleagues in Washington understand the good work we are doing here together,” he said.
Mr Jackson stated this when he hosted a cross-section of Ghanaians and the diplomatic corps to a breakfast celebration of the 2016 US Presidential Election, at the US Embassy in Accra yesterday.
Trump defies odds
Mr Trump, the Republican candidate, defied all odds to clinch an overwhelming victory over his closest rival, Mrs Hillary Clinton.
Mr Trump won with 59,164,747 popular votes representing 47.64 per cent and 278 Electoral College votes to secure the keys to the White House as the 45th US President.
The election of Mr Trump is historic as he is the first-ever president of the USA without a public-service background.
US initiatives in Ghana
Touching on various US initiatives and activities in Ghana, Mr Jackson said the Peace Corps, one of the most enduring symbols of partnership between Ghana and the US, remained vibrant in the country.
“Ghana was the first country to welcome Peace Corps volunteers. After 55 years , there are still more than 130 Peace Corps volunteers working in communities throughout Ghana on projects in agriculture, education, and health,” he said.
Mr Jackson mentioned initiatives such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the President’s Malaria Initiative and the Millennium Challenge Account, as some of the US-Ghana collaborations in the country.
US on violent-free election in Ghana
Referring to Ghana’s December 7 general election, Mr Jackson pledged that the US was committed to supporting the country’s effort to hold credible and violent-free election.
“We are working closely with the Electoral Commission, the National Peace Council, WANEP, UNDP and many NGOs and civil society organisations to empower voters, advocate for reforms and mitigate threats to a peaceful election process. A credible, peaceful election is in everyone’s best interest,” he said.
Mr Jackson said Ghana had a strong electoral system in place, “and I am confident that we will see a free, peaceful and transparent election on December 7.
“As I’ve travelled around Ghana, Ghanaians have told me that they want a peaceful election, they believe in a peaceful election, and they can have a peaceful election,” Mr Jackson said.
Presidential debates
On the presidential debate, he said, such debates promoted dialogue on the challenges a nation faced, and added that debates helped to hold elected officials accountable and they helped voters make informed choices, adding, “I believe debates are an important part of the electoral process.”