Now that intra-party polls are over. . .

The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) last Saturday went to the polls to elect its parliamentary candidates in constituencies where the party has sitting Members of Parliament (MPs).

It is the final leg of the party’s internal elections ahead of this year's presidential and parliamentary polls.

The exercise was largely peaceful and successful.

However, few incidents were recorded in Pru West in the Bono East Region, New Juaben North in the Eastern Region, and Yendi in the Northern Region.

In Pru West it was reported that clashes between some supporters of two aspirants resulted in an injury to the Constituency Deputy Nasara Coordinator.

Also New Juaben North, it was reported that allegations of "juju" (black magic) planted at the venue for the election also led to a scuffle between supporters of two aspirants that subsequently injured a police officer.

These two incidents occurred before the polls, while that of Yendi happened during the sorting and counting of the ballot papers.

As we join democratically minded persons and institutions to commend the party for the largely peaceful and orderly polls, we equally condemn the few incidents that did not help to portray to some people a country that aims to build one of the finest democratic cultures.

 Indeed, these acts are not in conformity with the democratic culture that we aspire to build as a country and must be condemned by all freedom and democracy-minded people.

 The few who indulged themselves in such acts must be told in plain language that in a democratic culture, decisions are not arrived at by might but by superior ideas.

As we condemn such acts in no uncertain terms, we commend the police for acting swiftly, especially in the Yendi incident which led to the arrest of a suspect.

The police in a statement said they had launched a manhunt for other suspects in the Yendi incident.

We urge the police to go all out and apprehend the suspects and put them before court after investigations for the law to take its course.

The Daily Graphic knows for sure that this is not beyond the Ghana Police Service. 

As a country, it is about time we did away with thuggery in our electoral process and held those involved to account no matter whose ox is gored.

After three decades of uninterrupted constitutional rule, we must be mature enough to conduct elections devoid of any machiavellian tactics just because some people have the erroneous impression that they are entitled to occupy certain positions perpetually.

The outcome of the primaries must send a message to those who want to contest public office to fulfil the wishes and aspirations of the electorate, those they intend to govern.

With the two major parties, the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), completing their intra-party polls, that is the election of their flag bearers and parliamentary candidates, the stage is set for campaigns towards Election 2024 later in the year.  

With the experiences both parties have had in their internal polls, the Daily Graphic thinks a lot of lessons would have been learnt that would guide them in their efforts to garner votes in their campaigns.

They must eschew politics of division and thuggery and embrace that of tolerance and promotion of superior ideas to obtain the votes of the people. 

Our politicians and especially those who are going to contest the coming elections must not lose sight of the fact that the Ghanaian voter has over the years become very discerning and will not, the least, hesitate to vote against those they see as having no potential in adding to their development status.

This should be the guiding principle for our flag bearers and parliamentary aspirants.    

To ensure a peaceful 2024 general election, we call on all the various political parties to put their house in order by engaging with their members and supporters on the need to desist from all forms of electoral violence.

A decent campaign devoid of insults and hate speech would help preserve the peace of the country before, during and after the elections to consolidate the gains made in the practice of multi-party democracy.

To the NPP, we call on the party to begin the processes of reconciliation and unity to get everyone on board now that their internal elections are over, so that they can enter the forthcoming national elections in unity to build the strength necessary for victory.

We recall the call by the flag bearer of the NPP, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to parliamentary aspirants who would be defeated to consider the supreme interest of the party and work closely with the elected candidates to secure victory on December 7 as an appropriate call to heed.

The Daily Graphic congratulates the NPP on a successful delegates conference.