General News of Friday, 28 November 2008

Source: GNA

Media told to reveal cordiality among rival politicians

Ho, Nov. 28, GNA - The National Peace Council (NPC), Thursday urged the media to reveal the behind-the scene cordiality prevailing among politicians across the political divide so that their followers could be wiser.

The call followed experiences recounted by some media practitioners regarding the backstage conviviality among politicians whose on-stage political gimmicks make them look like sworn enemies. "While they (politicians) argued to almost near breaking point on the floor of Parliament and other political forums they retire to drink tea, eat and laugh together", a workshop on "Election Security Management for peaceful elections organized by the NPC in Ho was told. Some even invite their opponents to "their homes to eat fufu". "Some have boyfriends and girlfriends on the opposite side". "These were some of the common bonds among politicians that the public never got to know", a media practitioner hinted. Leading discussions on the topic National Security: opportunities and challenges", Dr Ansah Koi of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana said the citizenry holds the whip that could bring politicians to order.

He said the sole aim of politicians was to win political power and would therefore do anything to ensure that they achieved that aim. But it was up to the citizenry to dictate the conditions under which they would cede their power to the politicians and such conditions should reflect their (citizenry's) collective and supreme interest, Dr Koi exhorted. He said the citizenry at all times should play the tune and the politicians must dance to it rather than the opposite.