Former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has told the organizing body of elections in Ghana to ensure that the peace and security of the nation are not destabilized in the coming general elections.
This, he noted, will require organizing a free, fair and credible elections that will be accepted by the electorates and all political parties that participated in the contested for political power.
“We must remember that elections are mechanism for the arbitration of political rivalries and peaceful and democratic rotation of leadership. If political rivals and their supporters do not believe the electoral process to be free and fair, then they will ultimately result to less peaceful means to change political direction”.
“We must not let the street take the place of the ballot box”, he noted.
He added “But that requires credible elections”.
Credible elections, he noted, hinges on three criteria; inclusiveness, transparency and accountability.
Such, he added, builds the confidence amongst the electorates and clear doubts in the minds of the public.
The diplomat was speaking at the Center for Democratic Development’s (CDD) 12th ‘Kronti Ne Akwamu’ Lecture that was held at the College of Physicians and Surgeons on Thursday.
The lecture themed “Credible and peaceful election; a prerequisite for Africa’s progress”.
It was meant to discuss teething challenges affecting elections in Africa and to propose credible ways of solving them as Ghana heads to polls in November.
According to him, the integrity of elections requires political equality, urging that the barriers that prevent voting and wider participation must be removed.
To ensure credible elections, he said greater efforts are needed to build institutions, processes and behaviours that are vital for genuine multiparty, completion and the arbitration of political power.
“Such elections bestow legitimacy on the winner, provide security for the losers and end the winner takes all policy that discourages democratic practice”.
