MUST ALL PRESIDENTIAL & PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES FOR GHANA'S DECEMBER 2012 ELECTIONS SIGN A NON-VIOLENCE PLEDGE?

Ghana's international reputation as a stable, peaceful and democratic African nation, widely regarded as a beacon of hope for the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, is priceless - and must be jealously guarded, at all costs.

Well-meaning Ghanaians want this new year, 2012 - during which crucial elections are to be held in December - to be a happy and peaceful one. A peaceful outcome, for what we all hope will be free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections, this December, will further enhance our nation's standing, in the international community.

It is therefore vital that all those standing as candidates in the December presidential and parliamentary elections, put that bigger picture (Ghana's reputation as a peaceful and stable multi-party democracy), at the forefront of their thinking - when fashioning their campaign tactics and formulating what they hope will be winning-strategies.

Perhaps the time has come for all candidates in the December elections to sign individual pledges, promising the good people of Ghana, that they will commit their parties - and themselves, individually - to ensuring that this year's presidential and parliamentary elections, are devoid of violence: and are fraud-free too.

Alas, if we were to lose Ghana's international reputation as a haven of peace and stability in Africa, it will drive away scores of potential foreign tourists and investors - courageous enough, at a time of great economic uncertainty globally, to want to visit Nkrumah's Ghana or invest in our resource-rich country's future.

So, peaceful elections (in each one of the 21,004 or so polling stations nationwide), in December, are a must. We must show the world that we are indeed a truly civilised people, by making sure that all Ghana's political parties understand clearly, that Ghanaians expect them to ensure that all their followers, get the message - loud and clear - that the law courts are the only places where electoral disputes are resolved. No one need resort to violence because of disputed election results.

A violence-free poll in December, will, for example, further boost confidence levels, in Ghana, amongst overseas fund managers who concentrate on emerging markets.

And that is no small matter in a world reeling from yet another financial crisis arising largely from the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis - and saddled with an economic downturn in many nations; turmoil in markets across time zones and the beginnings of a new global credit crunch. Our financial services sector needs to attract such funds - if players in the sector are to continue growing.

Members of our political class must not fail Mother Ghana, at this critical juncture of our nation's history. After all, they are fond of frequently making the claim that they are in politics, simply because they want to better the lot of ordinary people - and make our nation prosperous, are they not?

Well, any prolonged violence during the December elections, which leads to widespread chaos, destruction of property and pointless deaths-of-innocents, will rather do the opposite - and only end up impoverishing the Ghanaian nation-state and its citizens, will it not, dear reader?

The good people of Ghana therefore demand politicians' signatures on those individual pledges, to ensure nationwide violence-free polls, and a free and fair electoral process - and they must do so as soon as it is practicable for the National Peace Council of Ghana - and other civil society organisations with similar objects - to organise ceremonies nationwide, for that purpose. A word to the wise...

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