Yirenkyi Opare-Akuffo
The peace and tranquility that our country has enjoyed over the past years will indeed stand the test of time come December 7 when Ghana goes to the polls.
The world will be waiting to see if Ghana will continue to be the pacesetters and take its democracy a step further or will crumble like many African countries which include Kenya and currently Zimbabwe.
It is indeed significant to note that Ghana had gone through four general elections successfully and peacefully. Indeed one will not be wrong to say that Ghana is a peaceful nation in the troubled Sub-Saharan Africa. If Ghana is peaceful, then the question that readily comes to mind is what is peace?
Peace can be a state of harmony or the absence of hostility. "Peace" can also be a non-violent way of life. "Peace" is used to describe the end of a violent conflict. Peace can mean a state of quiet or tranquility — an absence of disturbance or agitation. Peace can also describe a relationship between any people characterized by respect, justice, and goodwill. Peace can describe calmness, serenity, and silence. This latter understanding of peace can also pertain to an individual's sense of himself or herself, as to be "at peace" with one's own mind. Peace can be also the living of the family calmly together without any quarrels.
If this is what peace is all about then, we can say that Ghana is in the safe zone. It is also refreshing to see and hear all the political parties contesting in this year’s general elections in December 7 preaching peace and the need to tolerate diverging and dissenting views since democracy is all about agreeing to disagree
Proponents of the democratic peace theory argue that strong empirical evidence exists that democracies never or rarely make war against each other. However, recent developments especially on the political arena, give us something to be concerned of.
Just last week, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Presidential Running mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumiah was in Tamale in the Northern Region to campaign for his party and there was a clash between the supporters of the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) which left at least seven people dead and several others injured and displaced not forgetting the massive damage to properties worth thousands of Ghana cedis. Not long ago, the Presidential Candidate of the opposition NDC was reported to have said that, he and his party will not accept anything than victory in the forthcoming general elections, since there is every indication that the ruling NPP have failed and Ghanaians will reject them come December 7. He was reported to have said that, if the NDC does not win, “There will be Kenya in Ghana”. Indeed, we are all witnesses to the bitter experiences the Kenyans went through after their disputed Presidential elections in December 27, 2007. The violence that erupted after that disputed elections claimed thousands of precious and innocent lives and caused extensive damage to properties.
Reports from the camp of the ruling NPP also suggests they are not ready to relinquish power, since they claim their government under President Kuffour has done marvelously well economically, politically and socially and therefore looking forward for a historic third term to continue with their good policies. The NPP also claims that they have discovered oil in commercial quantities and must therefore stay in power to manage the oil revenue effectively and efficiently.
Equally disturbing is the rigging scare ex-President Rawlings continues to spread around thereby calling on the supporters of the NDC to reject any result of the election that will declare the NPP as the victors.
This development in our political arena indeed leaves much to be desired. It is these same politicians who go about preaching peace yet again the same politicians are preconditioning the minds of their teaming supporters to reject the results of the polls when it does not go in their favour. What a contradiction!
It is interesting to note that, the two major political parties in Ghana, thus the NPP and the NDC are accusing each other of planning to rig the forthcoming December 7 elections so as to win power. It is equally interesting that both the NPP and NDC are claiming victory ahead of the December polls. This situation indeed threatens the rather young democracy we seek to guide jealously.
Considering the entrenched position taken by the two major players in our political game ahead of the December polls, one begins to wonder if the two major parties are beginning to sing the chorus of power sharing which seems to be the new trend in the African politics.
The questions that readily come to mind are among others, is Ghana prepared for a parliamentary system of government, where we have a President who is the head of state and a Prime Minister who is the head of government? Do we have the resources as a nation to support this type of government? Will the NPP agree to share power with the NDC when they win power and vice-versa? Who then become the President and the Prime Minister? Since Ghana has a peculiar problem where none of the Presidential Hopefuls is a sitting President. Where will the executive powers reside? With the President or the Prime Minster? How many people will have to die before the power sharing agreement is brokered? This is because thousands of people died both in Keyan and Zimbabwe before the power sharing agreement was reached. In the event of power sharing, who will become the Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces? The President or the Prime Minster? Who will be the boss?
With all these questions unanswered, our politicians especially the Presidential candidates of the two major political parties should spare us the agony of Keyan and currently Zimbabwe.
As Ghana decides come December 7 , all we can say is God save Ghana.
