Some Ghanaians are reportedly expressing their disappointment at both the ruling New Patriotic party (NPP) and main opposition party National Democratic Congress (NDC) over their behavior at the ongoing voter registration exercise ahead of this year's general elections. This follows accusations and counter accusations both parties have been leveling against each other for encouraging non-citizens as well as under age Ghanaians to register ahead of the elections.
Some political analysts blame the ongoing accusation on the failure of both parties to abide by Ghana's electoral code and their own manifestos, which they say could put the results of the election in jeopardy. Kwesi Annin is a security expert and head of research at the Kofi Annan Peace Keeping Training Center. He tells reporter Peter Clottey from Ghana's capital, Accra that the leadership of both the ruling and opposition parties have failed Ghanaians.
"I'm terribly disappointed because in both the NDC and NPP leadership, do not seem to imbibe the values and the norms inherent in the constitution of the republic of Ghana. They haven't imbibed the values and the norms inherent in their own party regulation and then in their manifestos. You see if and when you want to lead your country, you don't break the rules and the laws of the country so that you get access to political power. That kind of political power is immoral political power and it leads to crisis," Annin noted.
He described as unfortunate the behavior exhibited by both political parties for employing what he says are shameful tactics at the ongoing voter registration exercise.
"When you encourage people below the ages of 18 register. When you bring in foreigners to register, when you use insightful language to intimidate and to prevent people from registering that is irresponsible leadership. That is a recipe for violence and a recipe for conflicts, and I think Ghana doesn't deserve this. Ghana deserves better leadership and I think those who are doing this are not good leaders and are not qualified to rule," he said.
Annin said there was need to both parties to be able to uphold the true system of belief of democratic principles.
"I don't think anybody should call them to order. The parties themselves should have a self-regulatory procedure and they should know that certain types of behavior are not acceptable, now, if they themselves cannot regulate themselves, then nobody can do it. It is not the armed forces that should do it because that would be tantamount to a coup de'tat it is not the police that should do it. It is not civil society because that would amount to basic civil disobedience," Annin pointed out.
He encouraged Ghanaians to hold their leaders accountable to their actions.
"The people of Ghana should be critical of the behavior of their leaders," he said.
Annin denied the ongoing feud between the ruling party and main opposition party could plunge the country into crisis in this year's elections.
"I don't think so. I think what has happened now has been useful check on the hypocrisy characterizing the Ghanaian society. We have deceived ourselves and convinced ourselves that we are a nation that loves peace, hospitable, loving, kind and religious. What has happened in the last couple of days has demonstrated that that is not true and therefore it has generated a lot of discourse. A discourse that is saying we don't want to be a Cote Devoir, a Sierra Leone, a Guinea, a Liberia, Burundi and Rwanda. So, I am very happy that Ghanaians are showing their true colors and then we all need to work together to ensure the December election is peaceful," Annin, noted.
He said there was need for all political parties to accept the outcome of the general elections.
"But more importantly, all political parties will accept the results of the elections because it is then post-election period that is most dangerous," he pointed out.
Meanwhile some worried Ghanaians reportedly say actions being displayed by the ruling NPP and main opposition NDC parties have the tendency of jeopardizing Ghana's security, if they continue in what some are describing as unruly way of conduct at the ongoing registration exercise.
