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31.12.2008 Feature Article

From my rooftop: The day we missed Armgeddon

From my rooftop: The day we missed Armgeddon
31.12.2008 LISTEN


Some of the allegations and rumours were not only wild, but so weird that one could wonder if they originated from human minds. There were rumours that there was to be a massive invasion of the country by foreigners to engage in the country's electoral process.

The government, apparently to prevent this, ordered the closure of the country's borders. This action, if it was to give confidence to Ghanaians and to assure them that the sanctity of the electoral process could not be compromised only added to the mounting tension and to heighten suspicion that there was a gigantic design to use state machinery in favour of one of the two candidates in the presidential run-off.

It was getting close to a precipice and there were stories of people relocating to their home towns before the 'end time'. When polling day finally arrived, the atmosphere was so polluted that people started seeing evil in the eyes of others.

At Ashaiman, near Tema in the Greater Accra Region, rumours that some people were holing up in a hotel near a polling station with stuffed ballot boxes caused panic. When the police went into action, there were neither ballot boxes nor those who were supposed to be keeping them.

In Tema, a party executive was whisked away under heavy police escort because of rumours he was plotting to snatch ballot boxes away. This time, the police acted pre-emptively, but could there be any truth in that allegation? We might have just succeeded in creating more trouble for ourselves.

In the midst of all these, the Electoral Commission (EC), the National Election Security Task Force, the National Security Co-ordinator and the government kept on assuring Ghanaians that everything was under control and that there was no cause for alarm. As usual, the Ghanaian's level of patience and tolerance was on full exhibition.

As I survey the unfolding turmoil on our political landscape, my mind went back to November, when over 300 million Americans went to the polls to elect a new person to replace President George W. Bush.

In a matter of hours, the elections were over and in less than 24 hours, Americans came to the realisation that Barrack Obama, the 47-year-old Senator from Illinois, was going to be their next President and, in effect, the most powerful leader in the whole wide world.

Sweet and simple, isn't it? Senator John McCain, his challenger, conceded defeat and congratulated him. President Bush congratulated him and offered to co-operate with him to ensure a smooth transition and handing over.

As you read this, President-elect Obama has virtually finished picking his working team, and it is a mix of Americans from all persuasions including Republicans. That is why Robert Gates remains the Defence Secretary. Victory for Obama was not a licence to plunder or share with friends and relatives.

It was an opportunity to put his vision into action and every material available in the US is there for his pick and utilisation to transform his dream into reality. That was why everything returned to normal, a day after the elections.

We go to the polls here as if we are at war and sometimes we are not able to hide our intentions and why we are desperate for political power. That is why we get polarised instead of focusing on national issues and determining who is best suited to give us the leadership we need for national development.

The apprehension and tension which engulfed the country were grounded on the history of the continent.

On December 27, 2007, Kenyans went to the polls. Everything went on smoothly until the declaration of the results. Then a peaceful country went into turmoil. The carnage that followed left at least 1, 500 people dead, according to official figures. But the extent of the mayhem was such that it was likely more people could not be accounted for.

Kenyans went to the polls to elect political leaders and not warriors. But should this otherwise national exercise which is a constitutional responsibility, be exploited by power-hungry politicians to bring war among the people and divide them?

The case of Zimbabwe is now well-documented just as what happened in Cote d' Ivoire. We have not reached the other side of the river yet. However, we hope at the end of the day, we will wake up firmly believing that we have elected a new President for the Republic.

Credit: Kofi Akordor; Daily Graphic

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