It is that time of a season again and many are at a deciding point which way to go in barely six months away. Others are utilizing the situation to black-mail officialdom to heed to their pertinent social issues and threatening to stay away from the November 7 event if certain conditions are not met in their localities. Within all these drama are also commentators who claim neutrality in the national exercise but would rather preach peace as an essential element needed as our nation Ghana choses between the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) barring any surprises.
The scheduled general elections requires the involvement of all and sundry; parties, independent candidates, civil society groups, the observer groups, the diplomatic community, the citizenry and what have you. From the scan above, the observer groups and the members of the diplomatic community may be excused and rightly so to stay neutral. But even that, their appreciation of campaign messages put forward by candidates against the prevailing situations would be beneficial to the voter to make an informed decision.
I have been following arguments on social media and of course the main stream media, to the effect that media practitioners are expected to stay nonaligned in partisan politics. While there may not be any constitutional obligation on the media to uphold the suggested stance, my personal experience informs me that it is not possible. If you run a critique of all contestants for a public office, at least you should be able to come up with one or a few that you think are best fit for specified positions including the presidency. The neutral role of the media in my opinion is not practicable. There are supposed to be a three core function of the media; to inform, educate and entertain.
But underlying these functions is the delicate agenda setting role that has plunged most democratic societies into chaos. The politicians know it and thus manipulate it to their advantage. So, for me, there is no need staying neutral to the discussions and choices from the media, but discerning enough to read in-between the lines. The citizenry deserve the right to know a media house’s political colours to end the hypocrisies peddled around.
It is only the state owned media and by that I mean GBC that can shield itself with the neutrality of the civil service. And rightly so, it is in a way to make them adjust to any government so elected by Ghanaians to steer the affairs of the country after elections. The Electoral Commission under Charlotte Osei’s direction is also expected to be non-partisan. Within the civil service structure are also public servants who are elected or selected by elected authority to serve their government and in the public interest. Are we not human? If we are indeed human then the “5Ws and H” of a choice by a journalist would help in the decision making process rather than marring it.
Now to the classics, Aristotle insists that man is in a way a “political animal”. In his Politics, Aristotle believed man was a “political animal” because he is a social creature with the power of speech and moral reasoning and thus it is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal. Sadly Ghana’s laws have limited the needed support from traditional authority to help the voter to take informed choices. Traditional leaders are the foundation of the society that holds the nation state Ghana. Why silence them?
In the run up to 2016 elections some local or paramount chiefs have to contend with protests from sections of their subjects for ostensibly flouting the constitution by openly declaring their support for incumbent John Dramani Mahama. Is it not the case that the chiefs have seen some level of development under his government or exude confidence of a better Ghana agenda II. Now dwelling on Article 276 of the constitution, though a chief is barred from active party politics, the same chief can be appointed into public office. In fact Article 94 (3) (c) prohibits a chief from contesting even on an independent ticket to Ghana’s parliament.
In most situations in Ghana public office appointments are politically motivated, so if I were a chief, I would rather show my colours to attract the right attention. I will term it “passive” partisan politics; I have not solicited your votes but telling you my mind to either #ChooseJM or #voteforchange. No law broken….abi? But the framers of the constitution probably sought to insulate chieftaincy – a governance institution on its own, from “petty politics”.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has shielded himself from politics by his pronouncements saying he does not side with any political party against the other, as far as politics in the country is concerned. According to him, “There are times people connote whatever we do with politics, but I want to assure you that as Asanthene, I stand in the middle, I don’t care about your politics”. The Otumfuo by his demeanor has shown he stands for Ghana and Asanteman, and, therefore, he would do whatever it is to bring stability. But is that enough? Can’t he help the youth to make informed political choices? Four years for a president or a legislator is enough to ruin the dreams and aspirations of most Ghanaians and thus must not be toyed with.
Like the Asantehene, many of Ghana’s influential voices are distancing themselves from politics. Pastor Dr. Mensah Otabil would make realistic statements on the economy but with a disclaimer that it should not be taken politically, more so on partisan lines. Why should partisan politics silence charismatic intellectual leadership? Anyway he is still trying to point to the fact that someone is currently on it messing Ghana’s economy, times are hard but God will see his ICGC congregation through. I could smell a sense of a desire to see a change in Ghana’s direction, and of course the director. Yes we need some of these informed statements to help in the decision process come November 7 2016.
Metropolitan Arch-bishop of Accra Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle also has his reservations on political tags. It is time people like him come up and stand by personalities they think can do the job as things are going wrong. Their neutrality is not helping our nation state. To borrow a friend’s submission on facebook; “if we pretend to see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing” we contribute to the destruction of our dear nation.
The Electoral Commission is yet to release the full list of candidates for the presidential contest. No manifestos yet, but a green book is circulating from government. There are known major candidates, John Dramani Mahama NDC, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo NPP, Ivor Kobina Greenstreet CPP, Papa Kwesi Nduom PPP, Edward Mahama PNC, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings NDP and fellow female but comic contestant Madam Akua Donkor of the GFP. Are we on the right path? Expecting cash in our pockets with John Mahama for a second term or we opt for the Nana Addo change campaign to salvage the economy. If politics was to be football the expectations would be different after November 7, though it’s all a game and thriving on chances even when the odds are against you.
Yes a Leicester phenomenon may emerge if the likes of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) and the Peoples National Convention (PNC) emerge victorious in the race to the Flag Staff House. This is in consideration of the fact that the NPP and NDC have made Ghana a two party state in a presidential democracy controlling about 98% of presidential votes going by the 2012 figures.
A Leicester show would also mean Akua Donkor’s Ghana Freedom Party may pull a surprise to release President Mahama from the incessant bashing for navigating the country’s economy into puzzles. But again she may be seen as supporting the John Mahama mess and does not see anything wrong. Edward Mahama has made a comeback to lead the PNC, Ivor Greenstreet now leads the CPP, what difference would it make? There is Papa Kwesi Nduom with an indelible track record of business success; and worked without a hitch under NPP’s John Agyekum Kufour government. Now why would anyone stay neutral, or should it be understood that those with such mentality are the “floating voters” by Ghanaian definition?
joebrightnyarko 