Let’s keep to the tenets of democracy
Many are those who seem to be unenthused about party manifestoes. Such people believe that more important issues should rather engage our attention as a nation in the run up to this year’s elections on December 7.
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They are quick to cite the high illiteracy rate, as well as the ‘poor state’ of the economy, as one of the concerns worth their attention, not manifestoes which end up not binding even the parties to implement when they assume power.
Indeed, records support this position because it appears none of the governments of the Fourth Republic has performed ‘creditably’ on this score.
But, then, the question that comes to the fore is: How can we tell the policies of any party without a manifesto and consequently hold that party accountable to it?
The Mirror wishes to implore the parties to stop playing hide and seek, as well as the accusation and counter-accusation of being the originator of idea(s) and its attendant bickering and hullabaloo and rather help direct the nation onto an even keel.
This also calls for a national development blue print for all stakeholders to buy into and also bind successive governments to implement as pertains in most advanced democracies. This, we believe, will help curb the practice where new governments come with their plans and thereby truncate development initiatives of their predecessors.
We certainly do not have to turn the elections into a do-or-die exercise to the extent that instead of discussing issues that will take us out of the woods, we rather end up preaching peace and the need to avoid or prevent violence.
Already rumours are rife about some Ghanaians with the means preparing to flee the supposed carnage and bloodbath that they envisage will characterise the upcoming elections.
The Mirror, however, believes that this is not necessary because we are capable of rising to the occasion and keeping to the accolade of being the bastion of democracy on the continent. We have done it before and are capable of getting it right again this time round.
After all, elections are to ensure that we get the right ‘servants’ to serve the interest and common good of all. It is expected that we all keep this in mind and eschew any acts, covertly or overtly, that will endanger the lives of the citizenry who should not be turned into refugees because of elections, as happened in some countries.
We are all enjoined to eschew any act that will impede the move to become trailblazers to the rest of the continent, if not the whole world.
The Mirror implores all politicians to do well not to cross the red line to endanger our peace, unity, stability and progress, while reminding all to keep to the tenets of democracy and conduct our affairs within the confines of the Constitution we subscribe to.
We have only one Ghana and we must desist from breaking it up in an attempt to elect delegates or servants to help govern the nation.
