President John Dramani Mahama is optimistic that Ghana will emerge from today’s elections stronger and more respected among the comity of nations.
“Ghana shall pass this test with distinction. Ghana will continue to rise! Let us vote in peace and tranquillity,” he said in an address to the nation ahead of the elections last Tuesday night.
“I believe in the strength of our institutions to undertake this task and I urge polling officials and all others who will be on duty in connection with the elections to conduct yourselves in a fair and neutral manner,” he said
For his part as President, he committed to do everything to ensure the peace of the country.
“I commit to stand with you and beside you; every step of the way; as one of you; and also as President- together with the security agencies, the National Peace Council, traditional rulers, religious leaders, our international partners and all stakeholders in taking on this sacred and noble responsibility for a safe and peaceful Ghana,” he said.
President Mahama mentioned the six successful elections Ghana had held and said that underlined why Ghana had been described by the rest of the world as the model of democracy or the beacon of good governance and rule of law.
“After six successful elections we are on the cusp of a seventh. We have arrived at another defining moment of our history. The way we conduct ourselves in this democratic exercise will show to the world that Ghana’s democracy has come of age,” he challenged his countrymen and women.
Although he mentioned Ghana’s record in the liberation struggle, President Mahama also indicated that the country had also been through decades of instability.
But, since 1992, he said, “we have blazed the trail for a return to constitutional and democratic governance and have become champions of the rule of law and respect for human rights.”
“We have benefitted from the democratic dividend with an economy that has grown positively over the last 24 years.”
It was on that score that he stressed the need for Ghanaians to ensure the consolidation of the country’s democratic credentials “and demonstrate to the rest of the world that Ghana ranks amongst the best in the world when it comes to the quality of our governance.”
He urged Ghanaians to exercise their civic responsibility to vote. “Let everyone exercise their franchise in deciding who governs our dear country over the next four years.”
“The Electoral Commission and all who are associated with the successful conduct of the elections have expended tireless effort to bring us to this stage. Much will rest on our collective shoulders as citizens of this great nation. Securing a peaceful election will rest heavily on how we conduct ourselves,” President Mahama said.
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