WE CHERISH PEACE IN POVERTY (NOV 12, 2008)

PARTICIPATORY democracy can endure only in an environment where the people observe certain critical benchmarks.
These include the right to form political parties, the holding of regular elections, the existence of an independent electoral regulatory body and a free media landscape.
Other prerequisites include peaceful electioneering based on issues, instead of personality attacks, the refusal of the incumbent to abuse incumbency and the impartial attitude of security and electoral officials in the discharge of their duties.
A few weeks to the general election on December 7, 2008, some politicians and concerned citizens have expressed apprehension concerning the readiness of the Electoral Commission (EC) to superintend free and fair polls. Their concerns stem from the registration of minors during the limited registration exercise, the bloated register, the frequent violent confrontation between the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the lack of confidence in the security agencies to be professional in the performance of their duties on polling day.
It is worrying that, in spite of the assurances by the government and the institutions charged with working towards peaceful polls, some elements still act as doomsday prophets, predicting mayhem if they lose the elections.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks that the time has come for all to go into the December 7 contest with a clear mind, in the hope that a level-playing field will be provided. We cannot have a foolproof system, but the checks and balances put in place by the EC, some of them agreed upon at Inter-Party Advisory Committee meetings, should allay the fears of those who still doubt the credibility of the EC.
We cannot afford to take any false steps because the run-up to the polls and the period thereafter are under the watchful eyes of the international community, hence its decision to deploy observers in numbers that are unparalleled in the electoral history of the country.
The DAILY GRAPHIC expects all stakeholders to play their part as effectively as possible to ensure peace before, during and after the polls to establish Ghana’s record as a growing democracy in Africa.
We are concerned that it is in the spirit of fairness at the polls that the Ministry of the Interior has decided to assign security details to all the eight presidential candidates, as well as efforts to arrange general security for all parliamentary candidates.
The DAILY GRAPHIC recalls a similar offer in the past which was turned down by some of the presidential candidates, apparently for lack of trust in the security personnel. That notwithstanding, we should build bridges of friendship, regardless of our political differences, for the sake of our common heritage.
The slogans of the ruling party and the parties in opposition indicate their readiness to promote improved standards of living. Once again, we are on a journey to attain the dreams of our forebears. The only difference is the platform on which the parties stand to propagate the means by which they will realise those dreams.
For this reason, it makes no sense to shed blood or break the limbs of those we want to lift out of poverty in our attempt to win political power.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the electorate to reject all those who preach violence at the polls in order to send strong signals to politicians that in the midst of our poverty, we shall jealously guard and cherish our peace, stability and freedom.