Let’s make the peace of Ghana our focus
President John Dramani Mahama assured the global community when he spoke at the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last Wednesday that Ghana would pass the test in this year’s elections to maintain its image as the beacon of democracy on the African continent.
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“I am proud of my country. We are variously called the ‘model of democracy’ in Africa or the ‘beacon of democracy’,” he told his colleague Heads of State who had gathered for the second day of the general debate of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Indeed, Ghana deserves a pat on the back for not straying from the democratic path and having successfully and successively conducted six elections since 1992.
We, however, cannot deny the fact that some of the elections have been filled with so much tension and fraught with pockets of violence that we have literally escaped major disturbances by a hair’s breadth.
This is why we cannot take any election for granted and why we all need to make an effort to ensure that peace reigns before, during and after the upcoming elections.
Although the President has assured the international community that we will pass the test and come out of the election unscathed, he alone cannot determine that we have peaceful elections, much as he has a very big role to play as the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces.
The pressure on his shoulders as the leader of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) which is seeking re-election is quite daunting and in the heat of the moment, it will take the overly restrained not to go overboard.
Members of the other political parties who were guest editors of the Daily Graphic on Founder’s Day all indicated that they were certain they would win the ultimate, which is the Presidency, in the election.
This clearly shows the keenness with which the coming election will be contested. In such an atmosphere of keen competition, the adrenalin will by all means soar.
It, therefore, behoves all political parties seeking the Presidency or seats in Parliament to get their eyes locked on a burning desire to see peaceful election and Ghana as the ultimate winner.
The Daily Graphic wishes to remind all contesting parties in the election, as well as the electorate, to always bear in mind that Ghana is bigger and more important than any political party or individual.
Although the stakes are high, we urge all to remember that there is only one Ghana and that no one can be President or Member of Parliament if there is no country to govern.
Just as the cockerel protects its eyes even in the fiercest of fights because it knows it will need those eyes, perhaps for another contest, we must all endeavour to put Ghana first and protect the peace that we currently enjoy.
We cannot do without peace.
