No credible elections, no democracy
Elections are very crucial for democracy to thrive since, without them, there cannot be democracy.
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Elections are surely the reason Ghana’s young democracy has been hailed globally. Organising six successful elections in a row and two peaceful transitions of power are definitely a feather in our cap.
Yet, according to Mr Kofi Annan, a former Secretary General of the United Nations, despite the glowing international reputation, each election has generated a worrying degree of violence and uncertainty.
The situation this year is no different, with incidents of violence reported, even during the registration of those who have turned 18 and others who do not have their names in the voters register.
That is why we cannot rest on our laurels and beat our chest that we have accomplished all there is to achieve in a democracy.
Mr Annan could not have put it better when he delivered this year’s Kronti ne Akwamu lecture last Thursday: “Democracy depends on the lively participation of organised civil society in political life. Politics is too important to be left only to the politicians.”
That is why we keep asking all the actors in Ghana’s elections this year to be up and running as the scheduled November 7 date draws near and also do all in their legitimate power to have that date confirmed before the day springs on us.
It is certain that the country has thrived under democracy since it was reintroduced and our society, as well as our economy, has thrived as a result, although that may be a subject for debate.
The answer lies in the submission by Mr Annan that “democracies always tend to look worse than they are because the media and civil society magnify their problems, whereas dictatorships suppress information about their problems”.
To avert the former UN Secretary General’s assertion that rather than impose their rule through brute force, some leaders subvert the legal and democratic framework, we urge all relating to this year’s elections, such as the political parties, to use all legitimate means to put the process towards free and fair polls on track.
The Daily Graphic believes that no time needs to be wasted further in our desire to clarify all issues relating to Election 2016.
It is for this reason that the Daily Graphic finds the assurance by the Electoral Commission (EC) to abide by the orders issued by the Supreme Court last Thursday very refreshing.
That, we believe, will clear all doubts relating to the elections and ensure the full participation of all eligible citizens to ensure glitch-free and credible elections.
If we want to take our democratic credentials a notch higher, then primary stakeholders such as the government, the EC, the political parties and the Judiciary have a great role to play in making us see our way clear.
Indeed, while a non-partisan approach to deliberations by the key stakeholders will chart the path for successful elections, the Daily Graphic agrees that “democracies without credible elections are no democracies at all. As such, they cannot provide societies with the feedback loops and resilience that characterise genuine democracy”.
