The Director of Operations of the Progressive People’s Party, Divine Nkrumah, has admonished Ghanaian voters, particularly the youth, to learn from the South African elections and their outcomes if they want real change.
A young politician, who participated in South Africa’s national and provincial elections as an obersever, emphasized the youth’s desire for change, which has compelled all political parties to collaborate in the national interest.
Divine Nkrumah, sharing his experience, said the voters voted beyond partisan, tribal, and religious lines but voted in for the kind of change that demands accountability from our leaders and ensuring a fair and equal method of compensation.
He opined that the current system of government in South Africa has shifted from the period where the African National Congress (ANC) used to hold majority seats in parliament to the current system where all political parties are expected to work together.
This, he argued, is good nation-building and has stressed the need for Ghanaian voters to learn from the example and ensure they vote in a manner that will shift away from the winner-take-all system to one where we will have leaders who will bring prosperity and dignity to the people.
“The ANC (African National Congress), which used to win an absolute majority since, lost its hold, signifying a shift from the status quo. Indirectly, the outcome of the election has compelled all the parties and stakeholders to work in unison to attain their goals in the interest of the entire nation. There is no “winner takes all” syndrome. There is proportional representation at all levels. This is good for nation-building, and this is what I think Ghana should learn from.
The youth must rise up and start demanding accountability from our leaders. We must start looking beyond the NDC-NPP (National Democratic Congress-New Patriotic Party) duopoly and vote for credible leaders based on our aspirations, track record, and what they can offer. We must not vote based on our tribal and religious inclinations. We must all try to vote for leaders who will bring prosperity and dignity to the people.”
Divine Nkrumah was among the few individuals on the continent who were selected and received an invitation to participate in this important observer mission after a rigorous selection process of many applications received from across the continent by the panel.
Mr. Nkrumah joined the Election Observer Mission of DLDP to witness the South African elections scheduled for May 29, 2024.
As part of the programme, he observed some of the rallies and also have first-hand experience of how the South Africans conduct their political rallies in recent times.
Read his opinion piece below
I was recently in South Africa as part of the International Election Observer Mission study program under DLDP to learn from the South African system and to also observe the various processes in electing their leaders.
I was fortunate to have been selected as one of the few individuals on the continent and received an invitation to participate in this important observer mission after a rigorous selection process of many applications by the panel. It was both an eye-opener and a fun-packed experience from the mission. I met and worked with a team of individuals from diverse backgrounds who came with their unique skill set and experiences. There was a lot to learn from the team. Despite our diversity and assorted backgrounds, there was a lot of synergy among us, which by extension elicited energy from individuals in achieving our mission.
I learned a lot, but there are some snippets that I would like to share for now so we can all learn one or two things:
I observed that many of the electorates, especially the young ones, were all craving and calling for change. And this type of change they want transcends merely vapid (empty and superficial) campaign sloganeering. They were demanding a change that defies the negatives in the status quo; a kind of change that is not hinged on any tribal or racial inclinations; a kind of change that demands accountability from our leaders and ensuring an egalitarian (fair and equal) method of compensation. That is what many of them were voting for. And this could clearly be seen in the pattern of votes in the general elections. The ANC (African National Congress), which used to win an absolute majority since, lost its hold, signifying a shift from the status quo. Indirectly, the outcome of the election has compelled all the parties and stakeholders to work in unison to attain their goals in the interest of the entire nation. There is no “winner takes all” syndrome. There is proportional representation at all levels. This is good for nation-building, and this is what I think Ghana should learn from. The youth must rise up and start demanding accountability from our leaders. We must start looking beyond the NDC-NPP (National Democratic Congress-New Patriotic Party) duopoly and vote for credible leaders based on our aspirations, track record, and what they can offer. We must not vote based on our tribal and religious inclinations. We must all try to vote for leaders who will bring prosperity and dignity to the people.
Secondly, we must build strong institutions devoid of any political connections or linkages. We must build strong institutions using the best brains who have the acumen to cause positive changes and make the systems work for everyone. People we appoint to man our institutions must be honest and trustworthy individuals who will, at all times, ensure justice, equity, safeguard the integrity of our institutions, and ultimately be ready to take responsibility. This includes our public service institutions, security agencies, Electoral Commission, and all that matters. We must all build institutions, knowing that when we go to sleep, we will wake up trusting the systems and knowing that no one will subvert the system or do anything untoward to hamper the progress of our nation. We want a system that will make us trust the Electoral Commission to the extent that we can vouch for its transparency, integrity, and knowing that the institution will conduct free and fair elections for all. That’s what we want.
There is a lot to learn as a nation. We can be strong again.
To be continued….
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
