WE MUST CROSS THIS RUBICON

ONE major cause of post-election violence the world over is the inability to manage disputes which arise out of the polls. The recent crises in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Togo, to mention just a few, clearly indicate that post-election violence must not be allowed to fester.
It is against this background that the Daily Graphic finds as very timely and appropriate, the call by the Electoral Commission (EC) for the introduction of a time frame within which election disputes that come before our courts would be resolved very timely and appropriately.
We know that by law any aggrieved person has 21 days within which to lodge a complaint, but the absence of a specific time within which the case should be resolved, remains a dark spot on our democratic credentials.
We painfully recall that in 1996 when Mr Isaac George Amoh of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) felt cheated in a parliamentary election at Ayawaso West Wuogon, it took four years before the case was determined in his favour, by which time the life of that particular Parliament had ended.
But that was not to close that dark chapter in our history. The year 2004 also saw another aggrieved person, Nii Nortey Duah of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), contesting the results of the parliamentary election in the Ledzokuku Constituency but till now no ruling has been made.
Since our transition from military rule to democracy, Ghana has become a model of good governance on the continent. But we cannot allow ourselves to be fooled into a state of complacency as we take another giant step in December to consolidate the gains of our democracy.
That is why it is important for us to look back and avoid those pitfalls which can easily derail our efforts and throw our dear country into a protracted post-election conflict. Let us learn from the bitter experiences of other African countries which had, hitherto, been peaceful but have been thrown into political turmoil because of misunderstanding during and after elections.
This country can only go forward, and one of the surest ways to protect our relatively young democracy is to ensure that all election disputes are resolved within a time frame, as rightly suggested by the EC.
It is very crucial to the nation’s continued growth and stability and must be taken up immediately. Let us remember that if the integrity of an election is not safeguarded, it can throw the country’s fragile democracy out of gear as a result of inflamed sentiments.
We have come a long way and cannot allow our democracy to be sacrificed on the altar of election disputes.