Post 2012 presidential election petition reflections

(PART 1)

Now, the cloud of the 2012 presidential election petition has gradually but eventually settled devoid of the usual tensed atmosphere that characterises any judgement of such gargantuan magnitude. The judges have executed their binding legal duty, their gavel has given a resounding end to the legal hurly-burly between the petitioners and respondents and at the end of the legal journey, it is a victory for our burgeoning democracy and a formidable consolidation of rule of law in Ghana.

I should think that those single-minded Ghanaians who still hold the view that Nana Akuffo Addo is a violent man and a blood thirsty ‘politico-vampiro’ are revising or have rewritten their notes. Is there any evidence to demonstrate he has shed the blood of a Ghanaian? If no man will commend him, no man should attempt to tear his image into shreds.

Nana Addo has made it clear in his acceptance speech that he would not seek a review of the verdict. Those who misconstrued and abused the ‘all die be die’ proclamation to mean that he was a war lord and war monger should rather refocus their energies in developing our economy which seems to be in tatters because it is poverty that drives man to the doorsteps of bestiality.

They should add economic dignity to the sinking image of the economy and better the lot of Ghanaians especially the unemployed. There is the need to also ignite the revival of our manufacturing industries as well as other key sectors of the economy. President John Mahama on this note must prove to Ghanaians and the international community that he is not part of the backward breed of African leaders who garner political power for its sake but is in real or physical terms committed to the overall well-being of Ghanaians.

That aside, that which underpins the petitioners’ legal action and the court’s subsequent verdict is the gradual shift from the resort to violence after any national elections. Clearly, any would-be dissatisfied party understands that in a civilised democratic manner, there is the need to seek redress to their grievances at the appropriate quarters as succinctly spelt out in the constitution.

Without any shadow of doubt, the peace that Ghana enjoys now can partly be attributed to the fact Ghanaians are by their cultural and religious mouldings peaceful. And the NPP has fully confirmed this by demonstrating their commitment to the course of peace and the growth of the Ghana’s democratic credentials in this novel election petition.

I trust that in the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections and beyond, no political party after losing an election will turn to the undignified act of inciting violence but will rather the emulate the NPP by allowing the laws of the land to be their defenders. I dream of an era where Ghana’s political maturity will put our political paranoia to rest and that voters can cast their votes and go home with the hope the elections will be free and fair.

The verdict which went in the favour of the President should set in motion the President’s vision of accelerated development not for his party loyalists but for all Ghanaians. Under no circumstances must the power which is now firmly and wholly in his grips be used to intimidate dissenting voices. The joy of the victory must not be limited to the sake of annexing political power but be seen as an avenue to radically and positively implement the viable policies that government has for Ghanaians.

In other words, the joy of the petition must be reflected in the pockets of Ghanaians and the low side or defeat must symbolise our collective efforts to defeat corruption, bribery, unemployment and the crippling effects of poverty in the country. This is the time that the growth of our democracy must mark a determined and selfless effort on the part of government to restore confidence in Ghanaians so far as the future and development of the country are concerned. For what is the point in a democracy that does not guarantee or promote economic and social growth?

As the NDC members, ministers and minions bask in their victory, they must bear in mind that the day of accountability will soon catch up with them. Government claims that the eight months of the election petition has hindered its developmental drives. It is now over. The rest of the years left on the President’s table are years to prove to Ghanaians that the better Ghana agenda is not a mirage but a viable developmental machine that favours all Ghanaians and not a chosen few.

In fact, the ultimate lawyer or safeguard that will speak for the President in 2016 will be the palpable monumental achievements secured for Ghanaians and not the empty rhetoric and party slogans that do not reflect on the economy or put food on our tables. In this regard, the President must inspire in Ghanaians an all inclusive vision that will stir us to higher heights.

As I watched the President deliver his speech from the glorious Jubilee House which was sarcastically referred to as a hencoop by Asiedu Nketiah, I felt so glad that the seat of government was moved from that colonial relic that symbolised the indignities associated with colonialism. It takes a man of vision like President J.A. Kuffour to erect such a national edifice for posterity. I expect President John Mahama to surpass President J.A Kuffour who had no revenue from oil but was able to give Ghana something to be proud of. Anything short of this will be mediocrity at its peak.

On the delivery of the Supreme Court’s verdict, the judges have spoken to Ghanaians on what they perceive to be true justice based on the evidence provided by the petitioners. In a rather typical faithfulness to the rules of summary, Justice William Atuguba reserved the details of the verdict. Some of us wanted to know openly their interpretation and the implication of presiding officers not appending their signatures to collation result sheets or pink sheets.

The definition of over voting should have been clarified openly for Ghanaians to know whether the classical definition as espoused by Afari Gyan was enough or there was the need to expand its frontiers. Other important recommendations they unanimously arrived at should have been strongly made for civil societies and the media to pursue in earnest.

As it stands, the verdict can best be described as birthing a child without it being adorned with the proper clothes against the vile vagaries of the political weather in Ghana. Straitjackets should have been placed on some of these grey electoral areas. We should not also lose sight of the loose parameters of contempt of court. It is highly unlikely that a lot of persons will request or even read the individual judgements of the judges on the case brought forth by the petitioners or even read the collective judgement of the nine wise men.

The verdict and wherever the victory fell amidst peace and fellow feeling can be seen as victory for Ghana’s democracy and a call for Africans to abide by tenets of the rule of law for the sake growth and prosperity. Will government translate this victory to mean victory over poverty?

SOURCE: OKOFO-DARTEY SAMUEL E-MAIL: sodesq2000@yahoo.com