GHANA ON COURSE AGAIN (JANUARY 5)

GHANAIANS last Saturday heaved a sigh of relief when the Electoral Commission (EC) finally declared Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) the nation’s next President.
Having been engulfed in so much tension, apprehension, stress, anxiety and nervousness after witnessing a knife-edge presidential election which had gone into a run-off, a decisive moment in the Tain Constituency and massive street protests from supporters of both the opposition NDC and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) along the way, it was only natural that many Ghanaians expressed joy at the end of it all.
Indeed, reports reaching the DAILY GRAPHIC clearly indicate that the entire country — from Paga to Axim, and from Hamile to Keta — was thrown into a state of mixed feelings, depending on which side of the divide one belonged to, moments after the Chairman of the EC, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, made the declaration.
The DAILY GRAPHIC shares in the joy of supporters of the NDC and the pain of defeat among those of the NPP, given the sleeplessness, trauma and hullabaloo we have had to endure since December 7 which even affected the Christmas and New Year festivities.
But, more important, we are elated that our dear nation has once again demonstrated its ability to hold credible elections and stay above the petty squabbles that have thrown other nations into utter confusion.
Against this background, we salute Dr Afari-Gyan and other commissioners and staff of the EC for their firmness and steadfastness in handling the rather volatile situation.
We must also thank our religious leaders, the National Peace Council, under the able leadership of His Eminence Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, the professional bodies and civil society groupings for their commitment to peace and their pieces of advice when the going appeared to be really tough.
We agree with the admonition of the religious leaders to Ghanaians “to pray and hold up Ghana, our Motherland, to God for greater peace, stronger multi-ethnic cohesion and national integration”.
Of course, President Kufuor’s advice to the two contending parties “to yield to the authority of the EC when it finally declared the results”, at a time when the hierarchy of his own party was bent on securing a court injunction against the EC, was very timely and he deserves commendation for his fatherly role.
We also doff our hats to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP for accepting the verdict of the EC moments after the official declaration had been made, thereby helping to calm tension and anxiety among the party’s supporters.
In our celebrations, let us be very modest and not do things that will offend the sensibilities of others.
Whether we like or not, the polls have clearly shown that our country is sharply polarised along the two major political divides and so it is only with a tactful, diplomatic and all-inclusive administration that Prof Mills can succeed in implementing his party’s blueprint for this country.
Prof Mills has already pledged that he will be President for none of the political parties but provide leadership for all Ghanaians.
President-elect Mills, we congratulate you on your hard-won victory and encourage you to use the few weeks after your inauguration to unite the people for the task ahead.
But, for now, while the celebrations are still going on, let us congratulate ourselves on a good job done.
Long live Ghana, long live our democracy.