Press Release
October 28, 2011
GHANAIANS ARE COMMITTED TO DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE: AKUFO-ADDO
The 2012 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party
(NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, has said that “after many years of
experiments, the Ghanaian people have come to accept that living
under democratic accountability, backed strongly by the rule of
law is the best way for Ghana’s forward movement and a sure road
to prosperity.”
Speaking to an international audience in Berlin,
Germany, last Tuesday, the Nana
Addo stated, “anybody who has had the opportunity to visit
Ghana, especially during election periods, will readily testify
to the enthusiasm and passion that the Ghanaian people have for
the democratic exercise.”
The NPP Flagberaer who was addressing
the “Africa Conference 2011” as Keynote Speaker, in Berlin,
Germany, spoke on the theme: “Africa’s Role Model? Democracy and
Elections in Ghana”.
In reference to high accolade that the theme of the conference
gave to his country, the leader of the main opposition party
said, “being a proud Ghanaian, I am happy to accept the
challenge and recognition that my country has won for herself
the role model status in this twin regard of democracy and
elections in Africa.”
However, he underlined, “it would be hypocritical and dishonest
for anyone to try and paint the picture as though Ghana has
become a paradise” because of democracy.
“There still remains serious social, economic and political
concerns that need to be addressed in the country in the times
ahead,” he said.
The NPP flagbearer reiterated his strong belief that “this is
the generation that Africa finally breaks free from the
artificial chains of under-development that has sapped the
creative energies of earlier generations and dealt a
psychological blow to our appreciation of our own strengths,
value and potential and with the active encouragement and
engagement of the African people, Africa’s greatness shall be
realised in this century, in this generation and in our life
time.”
Nana Addo narrowed the expectations of Africans from their
democratically elected leaders to two basic issues.
He said, “the task ahead for democracy in Africa is two-fold:
(i) to keep improving the integrity of our electoral process;
and (ii) to use the democratic platform to create a society of
aspirations and opportunities for every citizen, regardless of
social background.”
He stressed, “it is, therefore, extremely important that we
have, in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa, a trusted electoral
process, where elections will be regarded as reasonably
credible, free and fair,
even by the losing side, and to ensure that the results of
future elections in the country are trusted and accepted, Ghana
is in the process of employing the use of a biometric voter
register for the 2012 elections and hopefully in 2016, the use
of a better and safer voting system through electronic voting.”
To him, Ghana’s status as Africa’s role model is still “an
ongoing process that requires eternal vigilance, relentless
support from all and a regular enhancement of both the intrinsic
and extrinsic elements and benefits of democracy.”
Nana Addo stated, “what Ghana has done so far is to lay the
foundation for achieving that much desired social and economic
transformation, as people who are capable of choosing their
leaders through the ballot, capable of organising governments in
a modern manner and also as free people who can express their
views on public matters without fear of a knock on their doors
at night and these have all been made possible because of a
systematic enhancement of our electoral processes,” qualifying
the progress made so far with the words, “there is still a lot
to be done in that regard.”
He stated the obvious that Ghana’s enviable position in Africa
as an emerging oil-rich, democratic nation has upped the stakes
and called on the international community to take a stronger
interest in the 2012 general elections, which he stressed must
be credible, transparent, peaceful, free and fair.
“The stakes for power in Ghana have been heightened by the
discovery of oil in substantial quantities and the leader who
will emerge out of next year’s elections will have a much bigger
basket with which to address the problems of the nation and with
this rise in the stakes, it is absolutely critical that the
right architecture for our elections are fully established for a
free, fair and transparent election so that the results will be
readily acceptable.”
He said “we must do everything to avoid a crisis or anything of
the sort in Ghana and therefore we must complete all the
necessary processes required to conduct a modern, free, fair and
transparent election acceptable to all.”
Contributing to a panel discussion after his speech, Nana Addo
added that “the Ghanaian people are determined to pursue the
path of democratic accountability to its fullest length and I
have no doubt in my mind that Ghana can build a modern
civilisation where people govern themselves on modern principles
of accountability and transparency and where also there is a
concerted effort to improve the living standards of the mass of
our people.”
Nana Akufo-Addo said, “the Fourth Republic, which started in
1992, is the longest serving republic in Ghana’s history and the
long period of stability has obviously made it possible for
Ghana to have a much better approach to its economic and social
development.”
He said, two decades of interrupted democracy, while promoting a
vibrant and sometimes fierce political competition, have also
“enhanced the unity and cohesion of our country with the
Ghanaian people accepting that irrespective of our ethnic,
regional or religious persuasions, we are all indeed part of one
body politic.”
On his part, Dr. Dr. Joseph Diescho of the University of South
Africa commended Nana Akufo-Addo for the manner in which he and
the NPP conducted themselves in the elections of 2008.
He said not calling for a recount, but rather accepting readily
the result of an election that was so close, especially when the
total number of spoilt ballots was more than the number of votes
that separated the two leading parties, was most commendable.
Attracting a loud applause and standing ovation from his
audience, Nana Addo concluded that “the issue for me and the NPP
in 2008, was putting my interest and the party’s interest
against Ghana’s democracy because there was a moment where the
entire country had become very tensed and anything could have
happened but for the larger interest of the Ghanaian people we
accepted the results putting first our commitment to democracy
in Ghana rather than our personal ambitions and goals.”
Berlin, Germany, last Tuesday, the Nana Addo stated, “anybody
who has had the opportunity to visit Ghana, especially during
election periods, will readily testify to the enthusiasm and
passion that the Ghanaian people have for the democratic
exercise.”
The NPP Flagberaer who was addressing
the “Africa Conference 2011” as Keynote Speaker, in Berlin,
Germany, spoke on the theme: “Africa’s Role Model? Democracy and
Elections in Ghana”.
In reference to high accolade that the theme of the conference
gave to his country, the leader of the main opposition party
said, “being a proud Ghanaian, I am happy to accept the
challenge and recognition that my country has won for herself
the role model status in this twin regard of democracy and
elections in Africa.”
However, he underlined, “it would be hypocritical and dishonest
for anyone to try and paint the picture as though Ghana has
become a paradise” because of democracy.
“There still remains serious social, economic and political
concerns that need to be addressed in the country in the times
ahead,” he said.
The NPP Flagbearer reiterated his strong belief that “this is
the generation that Africa finally
breaks free from the artificial chains of under-development that
has sapped the creative energies of earlier generations and
dealt a psychological blow to our appreciation of our own
strengths, value and potential and with the active encouragement
and engagement of the African people, Africa’s greatness shall
be realised in this century, in this generation and in our life
time.”
Nana Addo narrowed the expectations of Africans from their
democratically elected leaders to two basic issues.
He said, “the task ahead for democracy in Africa is two-fold:
(i) to keep improving the integrity of our electoral process;
and (ii) to use the democratic platform to create a society of
aspirations and opportunities for every citizen, regardless of
social background.”
He stressed, “it is, therefore, extremely important that we
have, in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa, a trusted electoral
process, where elections will be regarded as reasonably
credible, free and fair,
even by the losing side, and to ensure that the results of
future elections in the country are trusted and accepted, Ghana
is in the process of employing the use of a biometric voter
register for the 2012 elections and hopefully in 2016, the use
of a better and safer voting system through electronic voting.”
To him, Ghana’s status as Africa’s role model is still “an
ongoing process that requires eternal vigilance, relentless
support from all and a regular enhancement of both the intrinsic
and extrinsic elements and benefits of democracy.”
Nana Addo stated, “what Ghana has done so far is to lay the
foundation for achieving that much desired social and economic
transformation, as people who are capable of choosing their
leaders through the ballot, capable of organising governments in
a modern manner and also as free people who can express their
views on public matters without fear of a knock on their doors
at night and these have all been made possible because of a
systematic enhancement of our electoral processes,” qualifying
the progress made so far with the words, “there is still a lot
to be done in that regard.”
He stated the obvious that Ghana’s enviable position in Africa
as an emerging oil-rich, democratic nation has upped the stakes
and called on the international community to take a stronger
interest in the 2012 general elections, which he stressed must
be credible, transparent, peaceful, free and fair.
“The stakes for power in Ghana have been heightened by the
discovery of oil in substantial quantities and the leader who
will emerge out of next year’s elections will have a much bigger
basket with which to address the problems of the nation and with
this rise in the stakes, it is absolutely critical that the
right architecture for our elections are fully established for a
free, fair and transparent election so that the results will be
readily acceptable.”
He said “we must do everything to avoid a crisis or anything of
the sort in Ghana and therefore we must complete all the
necessary processes required to conduct a modern, free, fair and
transparent election acceptable to all.”
Contributing to a panel discussion after his speech, Nana Addo
added that “the Ghanaian people are determined to pursue the
path of democratic accountability to its fullest length and I
have no doubt in my mind that Ghana can build a modern
civilisation where people govern themselves on modern principles
of accountability and transparency and where also there is a
concerted effort to improve the living standards of the mass of
our people.”
Nana Akufo-Addo said, “the Fourth Republic, which started in
1992, is the longest serving republic in Ghana’s history and the
long period of stability has obviously made it possible for
Ghana to have a much better approach to its economic and social
development.”
He said, two decades of interrupted democracy, while promoting a
vibrant and sometimes fierce political competition, have also
“enhanced the unity and cohesion of our country with the
Ghanaian people accepting that irrespective of our ethnic,
regional or religious persuasions, we are all indeed part of one
body politic.”
On his part, Dr. Dr. Joseph Diescho of the University of South
Africa commended Nana Akufo-Addo
for the manner in which he and the NPP conducted themselves in
the elections of 2008.
He said not calling for a recount, but rather accepting readily
the result of an election that was so close, especially when the
total number of spoilt ballots was more than the number of votes
that separated the two leading parties, was most commendable.
Attracting a loud applause and standing ovation from his
audience, Nana Addo concluded that “the issue for me and the NPP
in 2008, was putting my interest and the party’s interest
against Ghana’s democracy because there was a moment where the
entire country had become very tensed and anything could have
happened but for the larger interest of the Ghanaian people we
accepted the results putting first our commitment to democracy
in Ghana rather than our personal ambitions and goals.”
