GHANA’S record as a model democratic state in Africa resonated in the Senate of the United States of America during Mrs Hillary Clinton’s confirmation hearing in Washington last Tuesday.
Outlining the foreign policy objectives of the Obama administration on Africa, Mrs Clinton, who has been nominated for the position of Secretary of State, said the policy initiatives would be rooted in security, political, economic and humanitarian interests, including supporting African democracies such as South Africa and Ghana, which just had its second change of power in democratic elections.
Since the declaration of the final results of the presidential run-off, Ghana has become the toast of the international community. Although many countries were concerned about the post-election skirmishes in certain parts of the country, they are full of praise for our commitment to nurture democratic governance.
All the presidential candidates who contested the general election pledged to offer the type of leadership that would help to create opportunities for improved standards of living for the people.
On their campaign trails, they promised to work towards the attainment of a middle-income status within the next decade, as well as achieve the objectives outlined in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Indeed, Mrs Clinton told the Senate hearing that she would work aggressively to reach the MDGs on health, education and economic opportunities.
In spite of the challenges that have confronted the transition process over the past few days, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel. The transition teams from the new administration and the former government are working hard towards ironing out earlier disagreements.
We are encouraged by the thumbs up given the transition process by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG). The two bodies have described the process as very successful and cordial.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on all Ghanaians, irrespective of their political persuasions, to bury their differences and rally behind President J. E. A. Mills and his government to deliver on their pledge to the people.
The days ahead call for the building of partnerships for national reconstruction, instead of creating adversaries. Let us, as a collective, condemn acts that tend to divide our ranks so that we can co-exist peacefully.
The international community expects so much from Ghanaians, especially on a continent where coups d’etat are still common and respect for the ballot box is anything but satisfactory. But Ghanaians can build on the goodwill of the international community to surmount the challenges.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the leadership of the country, religious and traditional leaders, the political parties and the people to close their ranks.
The going will not be easy but if we affirm our commitment to the principle that all powers of government spring from the sovereign will of the people, we shall rally behind the NDC government to exercise its mandate to build a better Ghana.
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