EDITORIAL TEAM
EDITORIAL
An alternative look at democracy
Ghana delivered yet again , at a time when democracy in Africa appears to be under threat from totalitarian regimes bent on circumventing the will of the people . The West African nation on December 7 voted to make opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo the president-elect , defeating President John Mahama by 53.8 percent to 44.4 percent and in doing so cemented the country ' s reputation as a standard bearer of democracy in a rather fractious region where coups and civil wars are the norm . Since its return to multi-party democracy in 1992 , Ghana has successfully held six democratic elections . The December 7 elections are the third time since 2000 that the government of the day has been voted out of office , reflecting the Ghanaians ’ lack of patience with performers that fail to meet expectations .
The fact that in each time , power has transferred peacefully has advanced the indisputable view that Ghana is one of the most mature democratic countries in West Africa . Love him or hate him , outgoing President John Mahama hit the nail with his concession statement : Every election is a hard-fought battle , and this one was no exception . For those of us who choose to be contenders and go into electoral contests , we go about it as a win-lose proposition . We believe that only one person can emerge as the winner . And while it is true that only one person can be elected President , in reality , and certainly in a democracy such as ours , every election is an opportunity for the people of this nation to express their will , to have their say in who will lead them in the shaping of Ghana ’ s future .
In this way , each victory belongs to the people . And the true winner is always Ghana . Contrast Mahama ’ s graciousness with that of Gambia ’ s long time ruler , President Yahya Jammeh who , after initially accepting the results of the December 1 election that the country ’ s elections commission say was won by opposition candidate Adama Barrow , has chosen to dig in , with a challenge at the country ’ s Supreme Court . While the electoral challenge in itself may seem a democratic right to the loser , there was nothing democratic about Jammeh ’ s 22 years of autocratic rule during which he took an axe to the country ’ s democratic institutions . We hope the courts appreciates the Gambian people ’ s desire for change and respects their wishes . Africa is full of despots , Jammeh ’ s defeat brings hope that the other pariahs can be shovelled peacefully out of office .
Alfonce Mbizwo
Editor Alfonce Mbizwo alfonce @ businesstimesafrica . net
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