Remarks: Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, ED-Kandifo Institute
Today, more than ever, we need farsighted leaders who can see beyond their national boundaries and beyond the next election!
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Kofi Annan, Sec. General (1997 – 2006).
Board Member, Members of the Press, Colleagues of the Institute, Ladies and Gentlemen. Good morning.
Today marks the 3rd of December, 2020 and in 4 days, Monday, 7th December, 2020, the over 17,276,400 registered voters would independently as part of their civic responsibility exercise their democratic rights to vote for their next President and Parliamentary candidate for the 8th peaceful electoral elections in the 4th Republic.
Elections make a fundamental contribution to democratic governance because direct democracy, which is a form of government in which political decisions are made directly by the entire body of qualified citizens is practical in most modern societies. A democratic government must be conducted through representatives.
Elections as well enable voters to select leaders and to hold them accountable for their performance in office. The electoral process is competitive and forces candidates or parties to expose their records and future intentions through manifestos to popular scrutiny.
Elections serve as forums for the discussion of public issues and facilitate the expression of public opinion, whilst elections provide political education for citizens and ensure the responsiveness of democratic governments to the will of the people.
The man that represents Global Peace, a Ghanaian, a diplomat and a former Secretary-General of the UN (Jan 1997 – Dec 2006), may his soul Rest in Peace. Kofi Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize amongst his many quotes on Peace, my favourites are;
- “Peace is never a perfect achievement.”
- “We may have different religions, different coloured skin, but we all belong to one human race.”
- “The world is not ours to keep. We hold it in trust for future generation.”
Any person who voted on Wednesday, 27th April 1960 and has since voted would clearly be a matured voter having experienced the 1st Republic (1960-1966), the Second Republic (1969-1972), the Third Republic (1979-1981) and the Fourth Republic (1993-date) and can attest to the peaceful manner in which all the successive republics have held democratic elections.
Peace is the way out of the inequity and violence and a golden ticket to enter a new, brighter future for humankind. All of us are important in this epic endeavour and the future questions need every hand they can get to receive a more equal, peaceful and beautiful world.
It is in this that Kandifo Institute admonishes all Ghanaians, Stakeholders, registered voters to campaign peacefully, vote peacefully, observe peacefully, jubilate peacefully and ensure that we win peacefully as a country and patience is known as a virtue, be peacefully patient to not call the elections. However, allow the EC chairperson to peacefully declare the results of the general election as mandated by law.
In the 2020 general elections as a multiparty democracy, there are 12 candidates and their corresponding ballots to ensure that peace continues to reign in Ghana. Kandifo Institute admonishes all, especially coloured political parties to campaign on issues, to discuss and unpack their policies to the eligible voters make their independent decision to desist from either capturing in video or picture a secret ballot which in any way may not constitute to any candidate being elected winner by the returning officer, the EC Chairperson.
- Nana Akufo-Addo
- Hassan Ayariga
- John Dramani Mahama
- Percival Kofi Akpaloo
- Christian Kwabena Andrews
- Davud Asibi Ayindenaba Apasera
- Ivor Kobina Greenstreet
- Bridgitte Akosua Dzogbenuku
- Akua Donkor
- Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings
- Henry Herbert Lartey
- Alfred Kwame Asiedu Walker
We also admonish the well-meaning Ghanaians to ensure that they do not patronize in any way the sharing of such illegal and private voting on Social Media.
Growing up I recall the popular education, Your Vote, is Your Secret.
Nelson Mandela (the Activist, the Lawyer, Anti-Apartheid Revolutionary, Politician and Philanthropist, a man regarded as the father of modern SA amongst his favourite quote states;
- “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.”
- “If people can learn to hate, they can be taught to love for love comes naturally to the human than its opposite.”
- “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”
Peacebuilding is an enabler of development, Security and economic justice and reconciliation. And there are three increasingly urgent reasons why investing in peacebuilding and conflict prevention should be a high and central priority.
- The effects of conflicts are far-reaching.
- Military answers to Political problems alone do not work.
- Conflicts shatter lives and stunts development.
To conclude, Board Member, Members of the Media, Colleagues of Kandifo Institute, Ladies and Gentlemen, in August 2020, our Institute launched the online database, Ghana Election Watch which has all relevant database of electioneering results and uploaded 2020 manifesto of all the candidates. Keep your browsers at www.ghanaelectionwatch.com this 2020 general election.
If we do not vote, we are ignoring history and giving away the future. In Ghana, we know that others have laboured and we, the emerging younger generation share their glory. As an emerging younger generation, ours is to do exploits and add to their gain. Such that, those who come after will take up our story. May this be worthy of our democracy as we PLAY UP!
We would like to use this medium to commend the President, H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo’s decision to make Monday, 7th December 2020 a holiday.
May God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong.
Thank you.
