Being an agent of peace: The roles of major electoral players in Ghana

The call for peace and tranquillity during general elections is a responsibility of all peace-loving persons and civil society organizations because peace is invaluable while violence is very expensive.

Unfortunately, the effect of violence has no particular formula and it is not also a respecter of persons – anyone can be a victim in violent situations. This is why a peaceful society/environment is a very significant factor in every democracy and it must be jealously guarded by all parties involved in any electoral process.

Praying for and promoting peace in the nation is the divine responsibility of every peace-loving person as indicated in Jeremiah 29:7, “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.

Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” (NIV). As our nation heads for general elections on December 7, 2020, the church as a prophetic voice in society considers herself as an agent of peace with a responsibility to preach, exhibit, and model peace and harmony in the Ghanaian society. Peace in the nation is peace for our very existence and development as people.

As a nation, there is every cause to thank God for His sustenance of the Ghanaian democratic system since the adoption of the 1992 constitution that ushered us into the fourth Republic. We have had six general elections with the forthcoming polls on December 7, 2020, being the seventh in the series.

To say this does not mean that all the previous elections conducted in Ghana were without troubles or violence. There are hotspots and flashpoints in the nation which have always been characterized by election-related crises. Over the years, reports by the media have also indicated acts of vigilantism and extreme political activism that infuriate passion during general elections.

It is against this backdrop that peace campaigns have become a critical factor in the preparations towards general elections in Ghana. The ultimate goal is to ensure “peaceful and orderly” balloting and that is why The Church of Pentecost (CoP) and some other agencies are spearheading a nationwide peace campaign ahead of the December 7, 2020 elections. The CoP, for example, with her membership close to three million in Ghana, seeks to add her voice to the ongoing education among the Ghanaian populace by governmental and civil society organizations on the need for peaceful elections this year.

Activities towards the elections call for other peace-loving institutions to emulate the move of the CoP and to join the peace campaign trail to drive the message of peace across all spheres of the Ghanaian society. The CoP, in particular, has successfully embarked on a similar peace campaign during the 2016 general elections as its social contribution towards the peace-building process of the Ghanaian democracy. This year’s peace campaign of the Church was launched on Sunday, 27th September 2020.

The Nature of the Situation

The situation of Ghana’s political system, at times, causes tension during general elections in the country. This may be attributed to one major situation in the country. Although the Ghanaian democratic system may be considered a “multi-party” system, partisan politics in the country appears to be operating on a dualistic political system that tends to divide the nation behind two major parties – the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). This development appears to affect the social cohesion of the people of Ghana with the tendency to create tensions during general elections in the country.

The cause of the tensions may be attributed to the approach initiated by the political parties and their followers to deal with what they perceive to be “inappropriate conduct or actions” by either their political opponents or other agencies involved in the electoral process.

Sadly, in some instances, their approaches rather turn out to be problematic and that affirms Albert Einstein’s assertion, “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” The import of this statement is that peace must be sought before it is attained; it is neither commanded nor enforced without a recourse to a due process. When peace is enforced without a thorough understanding of stakeholders, the seed is inadvertently sown for societal crises or rancor.

How then do we act as agents of peace in all aspects of our activities in the run-up to this year’s general elections? Obviously, each of the following groups of people has a role to play in ensuring the attainment of peaceful elections this year.

The Electoral Commission (EC)

The unbiased role of the EC as the main umpire in the electoral process is cardinal in safeguarding the peace and stability of the nation. Prudence in ensuring free and fair elections, as the tenets of its constitutional mandate, has a far-reaching, positive impact on the entire electoral process to avoid election-related violence.

Free and fair elections help to avoid rigging and malpractices that may result in a dispute during or after the elections. For us to achieve our aim of free and fair elections or avoid post-election disputes that could trigger a conflict situation, the EC, as the principal actor and arbiter of the general elections must be seen to be markedly fair.

If the EC excels in its constitutional mandate with transparency as expected, the kind of unnecessary apprehensions and contentions that had characterized our previous elections may become minimal in this year’s balloting. Ghanaians look forward to seeing remarkable progress in our electoral process this year as against those of previous years because we have gone far as a nation – and the EC’s positive role is crucial if we are to achieve this expectation.

The Political Parties

Our political parties have the responsibility to maintain the peace and harmony of the Ghanaian society. To achieve this, we urge them to desist from any attitude, action and inaction that may incite the general public to violence during the electioneering campaigns.

Whether one likes it or not, politicians and their political parties might have invested heavily in their preparations towards the elections. Their investments notwithstanding, they should also learn about how they must conduct themselves in the event of winning or losing the elections. The principle of “learning to lose” election applies in this context because the election may not tie.

Generally, when two or more politicians enter for the polls, one is finally declared a winner of the total votes cast and that calls for political candidates to adopt the principle of “learning to lose,” or “losing honourably”, long before they cast their vote. It is when politicians are adequately prepared to handle losses in an election that they will not hesitate to accept the outcome of the electoral result. On the flip side, winners must also be gracious and magnanimous in their celebrations, taking the emotions of losers into consideration; we must do unto others just as we may expect them to do unto us (see Matt. 7:2).

The verdict of the ballot is more powerful than the emotional sentiments attached to the energy and resources invested into the electoral process. Therefore, the verdict of the ballot in the light of free and fair elections must have a bearing on the desire of all stakeholders because it is the will of the people; the electorate.

It is the verdict of the ballot that determines the result of the poll; not the wishes of an individual. Whenever the verdict is pronounced after the polls, the next expectation of all peace-loving people of losing political actors, or better still, politicians, is to concede defeat, congratulate their political opponents for their success in a battle well-fought, and move on with their lives.

Naturally, any person contesting an election should bear in mind that there are “two six o'clock” in a day – one in the morning and another in the evening. If one misses the morning at six o’clock, one is likely to catch up in the evening one. Politics is a dynamic and progressive process; the loss today can be the win tomorrow. With time, the destiny and the political ambition of every person will be determined by the ballot, so there is no need to resort to violence or utter misconduct when one loses an election. For example, there are politicians in this world who have lost elections on several occasions, but with patients and re-strategizing, have won in their subsequent attempts. The antidote to failure is patience and repeated and consistent attempts. If one is consistent, resolute, and progressive with one’s strategy; victory will one day be on the side of oneself.

The Media

The media owe the responsibility to promote peace across the various political spectrum and social groups in the country. Arguably, some of the keys to peace and harmony in the country are in the hands of the media and the Ghanaian media is lauded for using these keys creditably and responsibly over the years towards ensuring the peace and harmony in the nation.

They have demonstrated over the years that preserving the peace and harmony that have existed in Ghana for years is a collective responsibility of us all, regardless of our political affiliations. This is highly commendable and we are proud of them!

Nevertheless, every general election presents itself with its peculiar challenges. Yesterday’s approach may not work properly today – depending on the dynamics on the ground so the model of this year’s peace campaign must address the real issues.

As we are preparing to participate in this year’s general elections, there is a huge responsibility on the media to sincerely be in the forefront of the various peace campaigns launched across the country ahead of the elections. Their involvement in the peace campaigns as agents of peace in Ghana can be a good starting point for the discourse about the role of the media towards the peace-building process in the country.

The peace campaign agents need their proactiveness, innovations, and robust approaches to addressing peculiar challenges for this year’s elections.

As has been stated earlier, there is the need for politicians and political parties to embrace the concept of “learning to lose” an election even before they go to the poll. With this understanding, the media also need to operate by acknowledging the fact that losing an election is a very disheartening and soul-wrenching experience which, therefore, calls for circumspection in reporting election-related news, particularly during and after the elections.

Any distortion of information about a particular political candidate or party may evoke violence because the passion associated with partisan politics and the investment thereof are very high. The onus, therefore, lies on the media to be cautious in exercising their editorial rights during elections. The way they conduct political interviews, documentaries, or debates should be shorn of all items that could instigate their readers and audiences towards violence. The overriding point here is that the media is a crucial actor in the country’s democratic dispensation, just as elections are vital for every democracy to thrive. It is, thus, a divine call for the media to exercise restraint in reporting anything that is tantamount to causing mayhem in society.

The Electorate

In the democratic system, leaders do not impose themselves on their people; they are elected and those who have the constitutional powers to elect leaders through the ballot are the electorate.

The electorate in this sense are all the citizens whose names are properly captured in the voters’ register compiled by the EC and have satisfied “all righteousness” to vote in any election in Ghana as per the electoral regulations of the Commission. They are eligible voters because their voting rights have not been disputed by any person while their conduct during the electoral process resonates with the laws of the land.

The conduct of the electorate is summarized in 1 Peter 2:17, “Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king” (NLT). Equal respect for all, including the rules set by the state for its citizen to be law abiding, are the recipe for good conduct in all activities relating to the general elections.

With this insight, it is permissible to say that the electorates are the most significant segment of the electoral process. Without them, no person will be declared a winner during general elections in Ghana. Thus, their responsibility in ensuring and maintaining peaceful elections is as crucial as that of the political parties, EC, and civil society organizations. While it is the civic right of every Ghanaian citizen to exercise their franchise through the ballot, it is equally their civic responsibility to be agents of peace – that is, to safeguard the peace and harmony being enjoyed in the nation.

There is no dichotomy between the rights that qualifies someone to exercise their franchise through the ballot and the responsibility on the individual to promote peace in the country – both are legitimate “Rs” that must be pursued by the electorate. This means the electorate go to the poll with two responsibilities – the first reason is to vote to elect their leaders and the second reason is to ensure that the peaceful atmosphere in the nation is protected against disturbance. How can they achieve these two objectives?

There are good procedures put in place by the EC for the electorate in Ghana to follow and every one of us must be well informed on those procedures. The electorate needs to understand that at the end of the entire process, the good news expected by every patriotic citizen is the counting of the total ballot cast and the peaceful declaration of the winners of the elections by the EC, and not necessarily the number of violent situations recorded during the process.

Elections is not the platform for a person to unleash terror against their fellow compatriots; it is rather the opportunity given by law to choose the leader (s) after one’s own heart and desire.

The import of this claim is that election-related violence is an unfortunate incident in the electoral process because it is not expected to occur in any civilized society. Election-related violence is not part of anybody’s budgetary allocations or planning activities towards the electoral process and it must be renounced in no uncertain terms during any election. It unleashes havoc on humanity and it is counter-productive and thus, it must be condemned by any person, no matter how miffed any misconduct in the elections might have caused him or her.

The NCCE, Civil Society Organizations, and Religious Institutions

Usually, during campaigns in this country, the focus has always been on the politicians and their political parties preparing for the poll, but less attention is paid in educating the general public about some implications in the electoral process.

A thorough understanding by the electorate is vital and that can mostly be championed by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and its related organizations. Of all the various areas of educating the public about general elections, one of the things it ought to consider is to prepare their mind about the outcome of the ballot. The electorate needs to be adequately prepared ahead of time to be aware of the possibility of their candidates losing the elections.

This is important because peace-building during elections is a collective responsibility by all well-meaning people in society. Therefore, every person or social group needs an equal proportion of education about the nature of the electoral process and the need to accept in good faith the verdict of the ballot box. Another area the education process of the NCCE should focus on, is the capacity building of civil society and religious organizations in the country.

In the run-up to general elections, these organizations (from the grassroots to the top) would also have to learn about the procedures for mediating election-related conflicts in the country. The bottom line, however, is that we want to have incident-free elections and every person or social group has a stake in the process which needs adequate preparation for the process by all.

Consequences of Election-Related Violence

It must be thoroughly understood that election-related violence is not a respecter of a person or the cherished heritage of any society, nor does it have regard for their property acquired over the years.

Whenever violence strikes, it has no restriction in terms of its sphere of destruction and that is why every good citizen must sacrifice their resources to promote peace and harmony in society. When we consider the countries that have experienced election-related violence, it can be noticed that the experience is one of the worse situations to happen to any civilized society.

Victor Frankl is reported to have said, “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” If we all have the “power to choose our response,” as is evident in this popular quote of Frankl, then let us all use the power at our disposal, including our political and religious impulse, to once again promote peace and harmony before, during, and after this year’s general elections as we have done in the past. Until the December 7, 2020 polls end, we should not rest on our oars – we must pray for the nation and promote peace in every corner we find ourselves in. The Psalmist says, “The LORD gives his people strength. The LORD blesses them with peace” (Ps. 29:11, NLT). This passage evinces peace as a blessing of God and we must all tap into it as a nation. Wherever there is peace and harmony, the people abound in God’s blessings.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that Ghana is a beacon of contemporary democracy in Africa in terms of the free and fair elections the nation has had during this Fourth Republic, freedom of expression, and, above all, the general governance system of the nation.

It is important for every peace-loving person to understand that the peace and harmony enjoyed by any people need to be consciously guarded as we approach the December 7, 2020 polls. We should all bear in mind that the peacefulness and orderliness that would be recorded in the elections will be consequential to our existence and safety as a people.

Having seen the need for a peaceful election through this presentation, it is felicitous for me to opine that we should all exercise our religious virtues of peace and love as a people in the face of threats, acrimony, and wickedness. When that happens, triumph will be celebrated in the light of God’s will for our nation.