Tolerance within political parties
The rules and regulations are based on the constitution of the parties concerned.
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The constitutions of parties differ from one another. Prospective flagbearers have the liberty to campaign to convince the electorate. Here, party members are selected to vote for a flagbearer.
Prospective flagbearers may have different manifestos but all are geared towards national and international development. They will need a grand display of their thesis to convince the party members.
Flag bearers speeches
There are no obligatory prohibitions concerning how speeches must be delivered, but it is important to emphasise that the speeches must be properly tailored to avoid confrontation.
Speakers are intoxicated with the desire to conquer and subdue. Speeches are likely to contain harsh and unsavory statements that may call for retaliation from the other prospective flagbearers once there is a future contest.
There are instances where speeches are supposed to distinguish one from the other. There are even attempts to alter the meaning and purpose of the manifestos of opponents beyond recognition. In all instances, tolerance is recommended.
There is no prescribed way or formula regarding the delivery of speeches. The syntactic structure is never edited in a free language in a democratic dispensation.
There is defrauding and scoffing, accusations upon accusations, the spreading of gossip among contenders, and always considering oneself as the superior and unavoidable choice of the people.
Some have adopted the style of condemnation of any action of their opponents. This is most obvious during speech delivery.
There were fictions between President Barrack Obama, then prospective flagbearer of the Democratic Party, and Mrs Hillary Clinton, also a prospective flagbearer of the Democratic Party.
At one point in time, the then-candidate Obama had said, “This is about America, and not about me” in response to Mrs Hillary Clinton’s utterances which did not go well with Barack Obama.
Party supporters
Most utterances and actions from supporters are no direct communication from the flagbearers. Supporters are determined to push their candidate by all means.
Sometimes, the attitude of the flagbearer may have some impact on the supporters. They must be circumspect in their actions to avoid confrontation with supporters of the other contenders.
They must put themselves in the right propriety and decorum. Prospective flagbearers must guide their supporters as to how to conduct themselves. Some may be ignorant of the right steps to take in uplifting their leaders.
The candidate may be seen as the right conductor of the behaviour of his or her supporters.
Anticipation
Once one enters the flagbearer contest, he or she should expect an experience of power struggle. In fact, in the transition to any position that attracts a number of competitors, one should expect some undermining, demeaning, and the desire to outwit.
One must prepare himself for these political ingredients that are automatic components of the power struggle and be ready to stand the test of time. There may be clashes over various campaigns. This is not the best option.
Conflicts
Conflicts and clashes between supporters of various contenders can lead to bloodshed and the destruction of the population. The yardstick of judgement to perpetrators is extended to all countries and member states of the United Nations.
A criminal act remains a criminal act and contains the same semantic meaning from South to North, East to West, around the globe. We have to check provocations that may lead to conflicts.
We should think of the lives of our citizens and should not take arms against our own party members at the other side of the curtain.
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Unity
Party members will have to submit to the authority of the elected flagbearer. At a point in time, they were all ambitious for power and authority but when one of them is elected as the presidential candidate on the ticket of the party, all contenders should rally behind the elected flagbearer.
President Barrack Obama, for instance, appointed Mrs Hillary Clinton as the Secretary of State, a juicy political appointment in the US, the driver of the US foreign policy, and a key determinant of international peace and security.
The writer is a Senior Lecturer
Department of European Language
University of Ghana
Mob: +233242987311
E-mails: aboasiako@yahoo.com/aaboasiako@ug.edu.gh