Accept Results With Humility, Dignity — IEA

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) have implored the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to accept with dignity and humility the outcome of the December 28 presidential run-off.

The move, the two bodies noted, would go a long way to demonstrate beyond every shroud of doubt that the democratic process embarked on by the country in 1992 had come of age.

At a news conference in Accra to state the position of the two bodies on the run-off, the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Reverend Dr Fred Deegbe, who acted as the spokesman, said the two contending political parties must “be prepared to accept whatever the outcome of the election will be as announced by the Electoral Commission (EC)”.

“All of us understand that the body that has the exclusive mandate and authority to conduct elections and announce a winner is the EC. In previous elections, this power has been exercised with increasing acceptance by Ghanaians,” he noted.

According to Rev. Dr Deegbe, any disputes which might emanate from the results should be allowed to be peacefully addressed by the appropriate constitutional bodies.

He explained that it would be a tragedy for the country if “this defining election” should lead to the country sliding back on all the gains made during the past 16 years because of possible intransigence and extremism on the part of the political parties involved.

“We strongly believe that Ghanaians as a whole desire to live in peace and unity and should, therefore, not be driven by the intransigence of the contending political parties into any situation of instability,” Rev Dr Deegbe stressed.

 
Story by Kweku Tsen