The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says the conduct of a free, fair, and transparent election, whose result is beyond dispute, forms a good basis for strengthening cohesion amongst the Ghanaian citizenry, and preventing needless disputations.
He made this statement whiles speaking at the Annual Conference of the Ghana Bar Association, where he explained that from 1992 to date, the conduct of the country’s elections has evolved significantly.
According to him, the increasing trust and confidence by the citizenry in the process of electing their leaders has been engendered due to the current multiplicity of media organizations and the power of social media, the existence of transparent ballot boxes, the decentralized nature of tallying and tabulation, and the mode of voter verification.
With regards to the compilation of a new voters’ register, ahead of the conduct of the December 2020 elections, the President explained that
“All of these enhanced processes have strengthened the cohesion of the nation. They have also repudiated as fallacious the contentions expressed at various times of our history that democratic governance would breed instability and ethnic conflict.”
“There have actually been those who went as far as to state that democracy was inherently alien to our culture and social make-up. The continuing success of the 4th Republic provides the most effective response to this unfortunate viewpoint.”
Speaking on electoral disputes causing chaos in some African countries, President Akufo-Addo stated that Ghana has been spared such incidents, adding that “we have the good sense of the Ghanaian people to thank for this, and we must continue to act as checks and balances for one another.”
He noted that, Ghanaians cannot and must not take this good fortune for granted, urging all candidates, voters and citizens to conduct “ourselves in a manner that keeps us together as one people, irrespective of our ethnic, religious, gender or political differences and affiliations. The Ghana Project cannot afford ethnic agitations and sectarian pronouncements.”
He expressed his delight at the fact that
“The political class and stakeholders have agreed upon the necessity, in the face of the pandemic, to hold the December general elections as scheduled to bolster the evolution of our constitutional order, and maintain the culture where executive and legislative authority are exercised in the 4th Republic only by duly elected officials. Ghanaian democracy will be the stronger for that shared commitment.”
He reassured Members of the Bar Association that his Government is making unstinting efforts to ensure the peace and stability of the nation, as Ghana enters the last three (3) months of the electioneering campaign.
“Ghana has rightly earned a reputation as the pacesetter in democratic governance on the continent, a reputation I am determined to uphold, and, indeed, enhance prior to, during and after the 7th December elections.”
He then appealed for the co-operation and assistance of all citizens, especially members of the Bar Association, stating that “we have all to work together to create the environment that will allow the Ghanaian people to make their decision on 7th December in freedom, peace and security. It is their right.”
