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16.08.2012 Editorial

Enhancing The Integrity Of Elections

By Daily Guide
Parliament of GhanaParliament of Ghana
16.08.2012 LISTEN

We have observed with intense interest the efforts of Parliament in enhancing democracy so that appropriate governance practices will remain a prominent feature in the country.

It has not been easy, given the occasional challenges stemming from the disagreement between the Minority and the Majority sides in the august house.

While such disagreements are normal in a democracy, we are saddened though that some of them stem from stubbornness on the part of one section of the house to have its way, irrespective of how such intransigence breaches the tenets of the constitution, that is our worry.

As the country is almost on the threshold of another election, one whose integrity would depend on a number of factors, total or even religious adherence to the Constitution should not be compromised.

The electoral laws are unambiguous. We have noted however how the occasional disregard for these has not pricked the conscience of the perpetrators of the aberration even as their attention has always been called to it.

The citizenry is currently watching with rapt attention how the seeming conundrum over the modalities for the increase in the number of constituencies is going to be resolved.

Although the honourable members are said to have come to agreeable terms regarding the challenge which cropped up, it is our position that given the need to give credibility to the forthcoming polls, no challenges emanating from matters germane to it should be swept under the carpet because some think they are simple and negligible.

Matters about the Constitution are politically sacred and should be considered and treated as such. Anything contrary to this, as some would have wanted, would be a recipe for weakening our institutions and the democracy we have pledged to nurture.

We are aware of how the Majority can garner the necessary two-thirds majority to rush through some of such pieces of legislation regardless of how much their counterparts on the other side protest.

The repercussions of such show of numbers do not augur well for the orderly management of the state and growth of democracy.

The wrangling is about ensuring that the constitution is not breached and not a certain obsession with standing in the way of such matters initiated by the other side of the house.

A situation where a section of Parliament would rather the realignment of constituencies is done, in breach of the constitution, is not one to be countenanced if we want to grow our institutions.

We should not give room for controversies as these could cloud the forthcoming elections to our disadvantage.

With the referee for the electoral contest, the Electoral Commission (EC), represented by Dr. Afari Gyan, constantly suffering queries from a key section of the political configuration, we must as a nation keep an eye on the shortcomings and raise our voices where necessary in support of our deputies in Parliament.

Incumbency arrogance should not be allowed in such matters because if it is, we shall lose what we have achieved so far regarding the democratic credentials we have garnered over the years and reduce the sacred occupation of elections to a big joke. We are watching.

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