A. R. Harruna Attah writes on...

Dear Kwami,

Charles Dickens', I believe is 'Great Expectation'�

Ours is 'The Great Expectation' – the outcome that would determine whether the 'list' would devour some of us, or we would be lucky to live to see another day which would then make it possible for us to live and end our days in peace and prosperity. This weekend's presidential election is that crucial.

Honestly, as you know, and we have discussed this several times, I had lulled myself into believing that after four elections and 16 years of democracy and constitutional governance, the 'anger of the people' was well behind us now.

I looked forward to a friendly Election 2008 between those who since independence 51 years ago (in fact before)professed liberal democracy and those who said they had adopted social democracy after being born out of a coup in 1981�

I was even beginning to entertain the hope that the time had perhaps come in Ghana when it wouldn't matter which political party won an election! It was an optimism that I found quite uplifting. I confided in friends and family that I felt Ghana's politics had come of age.

Mills and Mahama for the NDC sounded just fine. Then there was the Edwumawura himself – Dr. Nduom and of course Nana Akufo-Addo and 'yenim wo firi tete'�It all sounded so nice and correct. Then Boom! They unleashed him on us and our Election 2008 was soured from then on�

And so as Rawlings waded in and brought along his brand of political fear and loathing, I knew I had to revise my optimism.

But there's still The Great Expectation of what Sunday would bring and maybe, after that, our politics would revert once more to the politics of ideas and not one of 'anger of the people'.