Sustain the spirit

The various stakeholders in the country should be commended for playing significant roles in ensuring that nothing untoward happens in the country. The meeting in Kumasi of all the presidential aspirants, during which they made a declaration, known as the Kumasi Declaration, to ensure peace before, during and after the elections, was one of such efforts.

Last Thursday,   a great stride was made  towards sustaining our democratic credentials  when security chiefs held a meeting with  chairmen of the two main political parties to dialogue over how to sustain the peace after the polls.

After the meeting, the National Chairman of the NDC, Dr Kwabena Adjei, and his NPP counterpart, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, agreed on the need to encourage their supporters to respect the peace and stability of the country.

They also made it clear that the peace of the country was paramount, hence the need for all to ensure that no group or persons disturbed the peace Ghana was noted for.

We believe that the meeting had a very huge public relations significance, but beyond that it sent the right signals to the rank and file that there is something good in dialogue.

This is because the issue that has brought us this far is yet to be resolved; that is, the dispute over the elections. It is against this background that we urge supporters of the NPP who gathered at the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra last Tuesday and Wednesday to protest against the results as declared by the EC to allow their leaders to seek redress in court.

The Daily Graphic believes that Ghanaians will overcome these challenges if they decide to play  the game according to the rules, but we reiterate our position that the way politics is conducted in the country, that is, the winner-takes-all policy, reduces our democratic exercise into a do-or-die affair.

Ghanaians have only one country and it is expected that we all play our roles to  keep it intact because we have nowhere to turn to in times of violence.

The fact that we belong to different political persuasions does not mean we are enemies, even if we share divergent opinions or ideologies.

In any contest, there is a winner and a loser and, as far as the elections are concerned, our laws are very clear on the  way forward in seeking redress, which is what the NPP leaders have hinted of resorting to — the courts.

Until the courts decide otherwise, we pray that supporters of both the NDC and the NPP will respect the verdict and not engage in acts that have the tendency to disturb the peace.

We have faith in the Judiciary and so everything should be left to the arm of government to decide, instead of resorting to self-help to seek redress to our grievances.