Let's protect the integrity of elections - Ghartey

Accra, Aug. 5, GNA - The 3rd Daily Graphic Governance Dialogue opened on Tuesday in Accra with a call on all Ghanaians to play their roles in ensuring the integrity of the December elections. Mr Joe Ghartey, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, who made the call, also stated the commitment of the government to protect the integrity of the elections, saying that the government had confidence in the electoral system to deliver fair results. "Government is committed to this, as we stand at the threshold of a new and better Ghana, ruled by 'a better man' or 'the best man' we should be committed to moving forward.

"Since we are all stakeholders in this enterprise called Ghana, which we need to secure for our collective good and prosperity, we should all play our role in ensuring that the integrity of the election is without a shadow of doubt," he said.

The 3rd Daily Graphic Governance Dialogue, organised by the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) with sponsorship from Finatrade, Stanbic Bank and Ghana Commercial Bank, Is under the theme, "Effective Democratic Governance: The Role of stakeholders." The theme was chosen to enable the public to benefit from the thoughts of critical minds on the subject of good governance in an election year. Speakers at the two-day dialogue include Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of Electoral Commission (EC) and Professor Maurice Iwu, Chairman of the Nigerian EC among others.

Mr Ghartey noted that the independence, efficiency and integrity of Ghana's EC were not in doubt, saying, that should give the populace confidence in the EC to deliver in the forthcoming elections. He also expressed confidence in the law enforcement institutions in the country to oversee a free, fair and peaceful election. "We have confidence in the security agencies who have demonstrated their high sense of professionalism in Ghana and abroad; we have confidence in the judiciary who have shown they have the capacity to resolve election disputes fairly and impartially," he said.

The minister urged Ghanaians to recognise that, though "we may differ in views we are all each other's keeper and for that we should be one in our commitment to free and fair elections, devoid of bitterness and acrimony". He said both the governed and the government were equal stakeholders in ensuring good governance, adding that it was the responsibility of all to ensure that high handedness, brutality and arbitrariness were not part the governance system. "We may not reach perfection in our effort to ensure good governance, but we must continue to strive until our good becomes better and our better best."

Mr. Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Minister of Information and National Orientation, noted that good governance could only succeed in an all inclusive society, where the principles of openness, fairness and accountability prevailed. "Government should understand that it holds power in trust of the people and therefore owe it to the people to run an open governance system. The deliberate hiding of information from the masses must stop," he said. He called on radio stations to adhere to the principles of good governance, especially during the forthcoming elections to ensure that the vote was devoid of acrimonies due to inflammatory language and wrong information on radio stations.

Mr. Muhammed Musiliu, who heads a Nigerian delegation to the dialogue, noted that Ghana and Nigeria needed to play a leading role in ensuring stability and good governance within the West African sub-region. He said, since the return to democracy in the sub-region, it had witnessed an appreciable level of prosperity, adding that dialogues, such as the one GCGL had organised, came to consolidate the democracy and therefore the development of the sub-region.

Ms. Margaret Mwanakatwe, Managing Director of Barclays Bank, who presided also emphasised the need for all to play a role in ensuring good governance saying that good governance was a national imperative that should engage all and not just those at the helm of affairs. She said Ghanaians needed to be guided by the principles of shared understanding, transparency in information flow as well as convergence and uniformity of approach in governance, bearing in mind that there was more than one good approach to governance.