Ghana’s democracy entrenching!

By John Fuo Nidjon Assan

We may need same or more period from the start of our fourth republican to date before Ghana can boldly say its democracy has reached a quarter of what is described as non –interrupted electoral democracy, taking into consideration the realities of inter and intra continental circumstance.

Nevertheless, it looks brighter and surely, in every electioneering period, in that it is fast getting there but surely without some yet pertinent issues to handle completely. Though suffice to say this, the key stakeholders and well-wishers excelled with difficulties to apportion serious blames for inaccuracies throughout the election period. As usual, the two biggest political parties displayed competition throughout the actual electioneered period to witness the incumbent president in office lost power as per the mandated independent electoral commission’s declaration.

Of course, certain psychological matters arose; while the lost team battling with depleted emotional bank account and how to come back after the knock down, the winning team continuously and still in the daily euphoria stanzas without ceasing. The later emotion is right in such condition because the strength of the incumbent and the visible and seemingly opened development over their period in fact, they deserve to still wine and dine over the huge margin they won.

Very soon, as a characteristic of winning parties, the euphoria will vanish then allowing the dawn of realism to take it proper position for better for worse. Indeed the governing party would prefer the better outcome of term because of the campaign promised, then their stewardship sake and posterity going forward to judging their performance as they account to Ghana and the development partners for their government.

“If you don’t stand for something you will die for nothing” Malcom X attitude was taken by the 2016 elected president in the 2012 general election period that ended in the supreme court for the supremely adjudication, which largely formed a landmark in the political history of Ghana.

Of course, the tension and uncertainty created room for any possibility compared to the relatively congenial situation 2016 is observing. The biggest adjudicated body’s contribution as of recommendations, coupled with other factors also helped in this peaceful feat recorded. “I have learnt that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed “ Broker T. Washington.

Was the attitude the 2012 elected president on the other hand took in the trying times of the nearly marred challenged election that also characterized with unforeseen numerous challenges. These included immediate unfavorable economy, burnt places especially markets centers, popularly called ‘dumsor’, corruption within respected magistrates and judges courts and many more, were not what presidents would wished for in their tenure in office.

Factually, the incumbent president was their darling candidate, who rescued the all-important election immediately after the learned professor died to put their party back on track, but whether they expected to lose this election with him, we are yet to know. Together with his late former boss, they managed eight years of two terms by two presidents. Generically, this should not be bad news to the party except that the margin of lost is significant, however, as the man himself said he wished he had the second term and anybody would wish same for their political career to deal with the unfinished.

However, two terms of four years each that is equal to eight years put together remained a mantra selling well all along. We wait to record when and how this political reality or jinx would ever be broken.

Whether they genuinely lost it or not, we are yet to know. Be it whatever, they have a herculean task ahead and I foresee and guess that the immediate former president as a big contributor and serving as the John the Baptist in the bible, for their party’s comeback to government sometime. In his acceptance speech, he sounded natural that also showed the level of maturity that realized the doors of other higher career endeavors beckoning, while as a writer too we will expect some publication in his political career and autobiography among others.

Yes, the man of the moment sounded too clearly and leaving nobody out of nothing, which first moment told himself and what he would be doing for the best interest of the nation and same beckoning from important collaborators and partners signaled for better years ahead. He won the election with standing ovation considering the history for this post he worked for without any argument whatsoever. Walking down in the right path and willing to continue walking, then eventually he made progress. So, we must fast get used to (President Nana…) Published article in Ghanaweb, John Nidjon Assan.“ Election 2012 in Ghana was a real test” ... But I think every Ghanaian and other foreigners within and abroad recognizes and respects the fact that Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo is an astute politician and has contributed his quota. ... today NDC won, someday another party will win and on and on we go, we grow, we improve and leave behind a legacy of fortified multi-party democracy for Ghana.

These were not just accolades and for sure have come to past and in same spirit i say the former president lost to a heavier weight, and any lessons are not for the locus of the presidents but fortification of our democracy going forward. He looks ready and poised to execute their best agenda; but how much uncertainty factored into the preparedness to avoid any future excuses we are yet to find out.

Now, the defeated party is also heavy weight with presidential materials within. The persons of Dr. Ekow Spio Garbrah, Dr. Lawyer Raymond Attuguba, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, Dr. Sulley Gariba, Mr. Proper Bani , and of course, many others who can mingle well with their two former presidents, the JOHNs.

Actually, the newly elected president has also competent men and women tested with success before, and majority of new persons who now as parliamentarians are yet to display their worth in government. We are yeaning to see this team so that political commentators would start the assessment based on the quality such brings to bear. Do we expect easily said than done, or easily said and easily executed, while in every situation, Ghanaians and others would be watching and expecting nothing but achievements. Performance assessments are meaningful with time.

Time also, they say will surely tell. In any case, the newly elected president also has in their corner a former president JOHN, who also seemed contributed greatly to the triumphant entry of their 2016 victory to guide and guard their tenure. Interesting times though … . While the incoming government has a huge task ahead to accomplish, the out-going government has equally gargantuan task to organize their internal affairs to redeeming their face in posterity.

I guess the team that stood well upon the shoulders of their giant won as opposed the team that lost. What do you also believe and think. Upon the introspection and their research findings, we shall know the real causal factors for the defeated parties and those that surely accounted for the winning team. It looks like Ghanaian electorates are fed-up with excuses and this manifested in the last general election and might repeat such pattern of attitude at the next voting should excuses become achievements in their daily expectations.

This is because “challenges are necessary for growth; and growth is life” Anthony Robbins. Therefore, either the next government accomplishes their promises or they forget it. That is the growing attitude of our political socialization and culture in reality minus the other constant factors in the political institution that is entrenching in Ghana. No doubt, Ghana triumphed once again, and many saw our political elections and democracy ingraining without shaking and without fear for the uncertainty while diverse emotions within context reasonably managed to date.

When we talk about successes achieved within elections and democracy, can we say the same successes for which the elections are conducted and democracy necessary. Well, expectations are always diverse and performance assessment in this situation mostly relative and would sometimes throw assumptions for winning or losing election and determining good governance in democratic improvement out of order, beside the unpredictability of humans.

A president somewhere in Europe, once exclaimed to his friend “they just decided not to vote for me!” I guess the other competitor on the hand, in their election said, “They decided to vote for me”. There is no single doubt about the key stakeholders’ role very well contributed to the successes of our elections, but how can their efforts also ensure that the purpose for winning elections are ultimately achieved; so to actually enabled the discussion of electoral democracy and the total wellbeing of the population be a meaningful intellectual discourse.

Non-interrupting democracy has nothing directly to do with not disturbing the peace of the country, even though it could concern that eventually when the social, economic deficits and other ill fundamentals persist in people’s general wellbeing. We should get to the point that would devoid of the thing as to peaceful election alone being democracy; then should strive to the time security personnel would not necessary protecting and guiding what must not generate any confusion.

This will one day give way and observers might not necessary be important because electorates and institutions function understandably in total democratically governance. Non- interruption would also include self – sufficient in many ways, which also allows technocrats be freed from party politics driven agenda because the system regulates them; and then going forward the evils of corruption will not have any dwelling ground.

Economy and other critical areas including decent jobs and all state prescribed facilities in the constitution met and rolling smoothly even when change of governments occur; without any malice, with the most of our resources found within this country.

Some conditions attached to some funding can interrupt well-planned policy planned to span a certain period of four to constitution prescribed wise, and then maybe affect employments, disturb productivity, economy and other consequential vices emerging.

Democracy is bigger than only peaceful election, and even during electioneering year, other parts of democracy move on; those ought not to be distracted yet the chief executive officer of the state must be encouraged in every move to correct and introduce reformation. As for some interruption to our government system, looks impossible based on the acceptance over the period of our electoral dispensation.

We have a history as a people in conducting peaceful election since our first republican but never can such be said about our economic self-sufficiency and other good governance system; been far too long a third word. It is overemphasized rather still to say the technocrats who occupy everywhere (public and civil service) are mainly to be blamed for the circumventing of our socioeconomic development.

The politicians have the biggest say in the total activities of the country however; the technical staff in their operating sectors also must ensure their being and profession worth their commitment to the state and others, greatly depend on to moving into other world instead of third.

Should technocrats dither in past must however differ in their action and thought because our democracy has been tested and Ghana won, then triumphed and again now entrenching having changed from one political party’s government to the other over an eight year period of two terms. Fourth republic saw eight years NDC reign, eight years NPP regime and again eight years NDC stewardship; then , now welcoming NPP government, and for how long regime, only posterity would tell. Now that we are establishing our democracy as a people, excelled in people’s choice change- overs, the attitude of total progressive development must be a shared responsibility with the ultimate mindset that the people’s choice can come as they wish.

Therefore, the concerted effort of mostly the technocrats and professionals combined with the politicians best agenda in their field would go a long way in putting Ghana among the best nations we all aspire to get. Ghana started this journey of hope even before first; second, third to fourth republican governments but has never reached anywhere, even though blessed with natural resources and talented minds, our best is still total dependency on foreign funding and support to augment the annual budget.

The security of the nation is a holistic agenda and encompassing all the institutions, for that reason all the national security agencies have a general responsibility to ensuring that the state arrives in its socio-economic ambitions too. In any instance, the independence of Ghana would not be meaningful until we liberated our country from total dependency on external aid funding; therefore, we minimize the other accompanied detrimental conditions.

All the contestants exhibited Ghana first and added some colour to the game, their felicitations is a deserved one. God bless Ghana, and God bless the black star, while the black still strives for social and economic height of that star. … Happy New Year...

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them”

Albert Einstein

JOHN Fuo Nidjon Assan. NYAMEJAN-Tumu Ghana assannidjonj@gmail.com/assannidjon@yahoo.com