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Opinions of Friday, 7 December 2012

Columnist: Alfa, Abdur Rahman Shaban

Vote For Peaceful Polls

Vote For Peaceful Polls: We are All Involved!

Elections the world over is simply a show of political choice of leadership using ballots/ better still by going to the polls.

Democracy and multi party politics is what we have as a people chosen, the reason for which we have adopted a civil law contained in a constitution. As per dictates of our politics, we have to elect people to represent us in the legislature to make laws to govern us. That is ALL that we are expected to do come December 7, 2012

I am certain that across religious strata, Muslims and Christians alike would agree that the owner of dominion is Allah/God; and it is HE who gives authority to who he wills, by extension, our voting is a mere conduit via which a leader or group of leaders are endorsed.

There's been heat and it gets even hotter as we approach the date, yet we must all pause to look back and conduct ourselves with decorum whatever th situation, the premise on which i have couched some groundrules that I sincerely believe shall go a long way to ensure a peaceful process if it is the will of God.

The ground rules as I have couched them are as follows:

a. NO politician is worth dying for, NOT for any reason whatsoever b. Elections are a conduit through which we choose ‘temporal’ leaders c. Yours is a single and personal vote, but the winner is based on a group’ choice d. DO NOT take a politicians money/item and act contrary to his/her will e. You have NO business insulting an opponent f. Let the electoral laws guide you, DO NOT take the law into your hands g. Avoid ethnic, tribal and religiously divisive pronouncements h. Make it a point not to vote in a politically branded attire i. DO NOT heed calls by anyone to mass up in front of anyplace j. Ensure that post elections, you can look in the face of an opponent and smile k. No sane person fights alone, DO NOT give a violent opponent a fight l. Always say a prayer for a peaceful process

At this point of the political power struggle every Tom, Dick and Harry is important to the politician seeking power [as lucrative a venture as it has turned out to be in our part of the world] This is the time that they know how important the populace are, sweet tongued promises of what they'd do and of what they've done is a regular feature.

May we accept the WINNER and may the loser accept defeat when it comes.

The Chief Imam could not have said it better than he did and the prominence given his concerns by the Daily Graphic [i.e. as a banner headline] sums it all up. Any rush youth who indulges in any electoral thuggery would have himself to blame.

Our political leanings for the better part of time are emotive than concrete, after all the political establishment irrespective of which party is in power would not feed you, till you get out and work.

In any case, I state without any apologies whatsoever that politicians if anything are worse than each other, MOST [caps mine] of them know you when they need you, thereafter what matters to them is enjoying their reign till their mandate is finished.

May events before during and after the process leave us a stronger nation. Allah bless our homeland GHANA.

AUTHOR: Abdur Rahman Shaban Alfa alfarsenal@yahoo.com, newcguide@gmail.com Facebook: Alfa Allahguide Shaban