Make November polls issues-based - Very Rev Dr Tettey advises parties
Political parties have been challenged by the Immediate Past Moderator of the Global Evangelical Church (GEC), the Very Reverend Dr Edem Tettey, to drive the November polls with issues and not insults and vilification.
Advertisement
“The parties must know that it is God who enthrones. Let them convince the electorate with the agenda they have, then they (electorate) will decide what to do,” he told the Daily Graphic.
With seven months to go for the elections, none of the political parties have released their manifestos, making political pundits wonder what would inform the electorate’s decision in November.
Situation in 2012
In the 2012 elections, the Convention People’s Party (CPP) was the first to launch its manifesto detailing its agenda for the country’s development, in June. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) followed in August, with the NDC taking its turn in October. The People’s National Convention (PNC) was the last to put its document out in November.
The PPP did not launch a manifesto for the 2012 polls but had earlier developed what it called the “PPP 10-Point Political Platform Agenda”.
Informed decisions
But Very Rev. Dr Tettey expressed the belief that an issues-based campaign would educate the electorate and enable them to make informed decisions that would be beneficial to the country.
“The politics of vilification is not helping us. Sometimes, the more you insult someone, the more people would like him or her. Let us stop attacking each other. It is backward and does not help our democracy,” he said.
He spoke to the Daily Graphic at a farewell and appreciation service for the immediate past Synod Committee Executive of the church.
Celebrating leaders
The honoured executive members were Very Rev. Tetteh, immediate past Moderator; Rev. Prince Y. Tefe, the Synod Clerk; Prof. Victoria Pearl Dzogbefia; the Female Presbyter and Prof. Emmanuel K. Adosraku, the Male Presbyter, who has been reelected for another term.
The event was to honour the leaders who had led the church for four to eight years, bringing reforms in administration, and pushing the growth of the church through missions and evangelism, education, infrastructural and resource development.
During the tenure of the outgone executive, the synod of the church decided to change the two four-year terms of the executive to a single six-year term.
The church also established an endowment fund as part of a 15-year strategic plan to turn its training school—the Global Theological Seminary — into a degree-awarding institution.
Prayer for God’s will
In election years, the Christian community becomes replete with some pastors prophesying who would win the elections, something he thinks calls for caution
The former GEC Moderator, therefore, urged Christian leaders to lead their congregations in prayer for God’s will to be done in the November polls rather than endorse candidates.
According to him, while the congregants and even their leaders might have their preferred parties, it was the responsibility of the pastors to ensure peace and unity.
“If I’m leading people to pray, I will tell them to pray for their choices and also pray that God’s will be done. That way when God’s will is done, the outcome will be acceptable to all,” Rev Tettey said.
He also called on the leadership of the Christian community to be advocates of peace and reconciliation.
“As a Christian leader, I’m not a politician. My duty is to pray for anyone who is in authority. Every Ghanaian has the right to like this or that party.
“But ultimately, we must pray that God’s will be done so that when whoever I prayed for is not elected, I know that it is the will of God,” he said.
