4th Republic @25 celebration: Our leaders were not recognized – PPP

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has registered its displeasure over treatments meted out to its representatives at the 4th Republic Thanksgiving Service.

In a statement released and signed by Richard N. Amarh, Executive Secretary of the PPP, the party, having received an invitation was represented by its National Chairman, Deputy Chairman as well as the National Secretary.

To its utmost dismay, the executives of the party “were given seats that were far away from where other political party leaders sat. The MC of the occasion also in mentioning parties present failed to mention the presence of t PPP.”

The PPP is asking the State Protocol Department to “take note of this breach and avoid such omission in the near future”. It asserts that the lack of recognition given their leaders “has created the perception in the minds of some Ghanaians that we failed to attend such an important national occasion”.

The Silver Jubilee of the Fourth Republic celebration was held at the Black Star Square in Accra on Sunday, January 7, 2018 under the theme “Celebrating the goodness of the Lord”.

It was meant to acknowledge the country’s stable democracy over the past two decades.

In attendance were all three living former Presidents in the fourth republic: Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor and John Dramani Mahama, as well as the incumbent Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

25 years of the Fourth Republic

After eleven years of military rule, the country eventually transitioned into a democratic regime with Flt. Lit. Jerry John Rawlings of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) winning the 1992 elections.

He served two terms in office and handed over power to John Agyekum Kuffour following the NDC’s defeat in the 2000 elections to the NPP.

Mr. Kufuor also led the country for two terms - from 2000 to 2004 and then to 2008.

Ghana witnessed another smooth transition of power as the NDC’s Prof. Atta-Mills was sworn in as President after winning the 2008 elections against the NPP’s Nana Akufo-Addo and served until 2012 when he died. This was 6 months before the end of his first term.

In accordance with the constitution, then Vice President, John Mahama, was sworn-in to man the affairs of the country.

He defeated then candidate Akufo-Addo in the 2012 Presidential elections but failed in his bid for a second term as he lost to Nana Akufo-Addo.