2024 December polls: Prof. Antwi-Danso calls for consolidation of democracy

This year’s December 7 elections will either put the nation on the pedestal of democratic countries or be a setback, Professor Vladimir Antwi-Danso, has said.

He explained that if successfully handled, the elections would consolidate the nation’s democracy, portraying the electorate as having shown maturity in the exercise of their constitutional mandate.

However, he said, if the unexpected happened and the country slipped into instability from the polls, it would derail efforts in deepening its democratic credentials and create a situation where jihadists would be excited to add Ghana to their activities.

“So, I am praying that we are able to hurdle the way we have always hurdled in earlier elections to consolidate our democracy,” Prof. Antwi-Danso said.

He further explained that democratic consolidation means the country had matured in its democracy, and that its citizens believed in state institutions such as the courts, where if any problem arose, they would follow the court process to seek redress.

Prof. Antwi-Danso, who is the Dean and Director of Academic Affairs at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, said this in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra.

Flashpoints

Prof. Antwi-Danso also mentioned some flashpoints in the Western, Eastern and Northern regions, and said: “I am afraid elections in some of those places might not be free and fair”.

He also said there might be some challenges in parts of the Ashanti and the Bono regions.

Prof. Antwi-Danso blamed politicians for causing conflicts at those flashpoints, adding that, they were often behind the conflicts that happened in those places.

He called on civil society organisations to be more active and also ensure that citizens accept the democratic process of the country and its institutional governance.

Unfortunately, the director said most CSOs had become partisan, inflaming passions rather than raising issues.

Concerns

The director further said that although the nation was not yet on the verge of slipping into the abyss in the upcoming elections, utterances by some politicians were not encouraging peace and tranquillity.

“We shall not sign the peace deal; we shall not accept the election results; look, the government must be very careful not to play any trick, and we will win this election by all means, hook or crook,” were some of the utterances of politicians, he said.

When politicians begin to talk that way, the director said, it was suggestive that they were beating the war drums.

On the impact the elections might have on Ghana’s participation in regional and international security, Prof. Antwi-Danso, who is well-versed in international relations, said if handled successfully, it would deepen the nation’s image on the international scene.

He cited instances after the 2000 general election when Ghana was invited to several international fora, including those held in Kenya, DR Congo and Qatar, to share its experiences on elections with those countries.

On the role international organisations such as the UN, the AU and ECOWAS could play to ensure a fair electoral process, he said the best they could do was to appeal for transparent and peaceful polls.