THERE WE GO AGAIN

LONG before the Electoral Commission (EC) fires the starter’s gun for the elections to begin, the political parties have hit the road canvassing for votes and promising the electorate a better tomorrow.
Every electoral contest is also a contest of ideas, hence the airwaves and newspapers are inundated with all kinds of messages from the political parties seeking our mandate to lead the country from January 7, 2009.
The high level of interest being demonstrated by governance institutions shows that our democracy has come of age and that the days are gone when politicians took the electorate for granted.
For this reason, various forums are being organised for the political parties to canvass their positions on the challenges facing the people and how they hope to address those concerns.
Recently, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) organised what was called “Flag bearers on Energy” to seek the perspectives of the flag bearers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC) on how they will deal with the energy challenges facing the country.
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) which has been helping to build the capacities of the four political parties in Parliament has also decided to deepen its support for democratic governance by providing the flag bearers the opportunity to share their vision with the electorate.
The DAILY GRAPHIC commends the IEA and its partners for the opportunity they are offering the political parties to build the capacity of their members and reach the electorate with their messages.
Now we are faced with the challenges of redefining the level to which our politics must be carried to make 16 years of democratic governance relevant and beneficial to the people.
Therefore, any move, that makes democracy more functional must be welcomed, nurtured and sustained.
As a result of the policies initiated so far by various governments, Ghana is touted as a good example of good governance and economic development on the continent.
Notwithstanding Ghana’s international image, the ordinary people still feel left out of the governance and economic process as they remain on the periphery of the gains made so far.
However, the people are tired of the rhetoric of the past when promises made were unrealistic but the electorate bought into them, only to be disappointed.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the voters have now become more discerning than before and it is our hope that this year the presidential candidates will dwell on the issues backed by facts and figures.
We call on our presidential candidates to get down to brass tacks and state how they hope to raise the emoluments of workers, provide affordable housing, health care, education and jobs for the people.
What the DAILY GRAPHIC asks of the flag bearers is simple: They should tell Ghanaians in simple terms how they hope to raise the resources so that the Ghanaian can afford three square meals a day, without overburdening them with taxes or perpetuating our over dependence on donors.
Until they provide concrete steps by which our woes will be addressed, what they say on the campaign trail will be mere rhetoric which will not help the electorate to make informed decisions.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the flag bearers not to remind the electorate of a popular Akan adage which says: “Se kwatrikwa se obema wo ntoma a, tie ne din” — to wit, if the naked person promises you a piece of cloth, consider his name by refraining from promising to build bridges where there are no rivers.