Last Wednesday, parties in the election petition litigation demonstrated a rare sense of camaraderie when the Presiding Judge, Mr Justice William Atuguba, announced that “at long last the battle of evidence has ended”. The report from the Supreme Court said there were joy, smiles, hugs, cheers and handshakes among the lawyers, party bigwigs and members of the public who had converged on the courtroom when it finally emerged that the hearing of the petition had ended. Long before the hearing began, some Ghanaians had questioned the rationale behind the election dispute, while others had predicted gloom and doom at the end of proceedings. Remarks by the protagonists and their supporters raised the political temperature of the country and created an impression that the country was on the verge of explosion. Members of the communications teams of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the political parties whose leaders are in court, failed to exercise restraint in their discourses and sometimes pronounce the verdict of the petition ahead of the learned judges. Before the Supreme Court decided ro rein in the commentators, including journalists, following the jailing of two persons for contempt, the airwaves and newspaper columns were the platforms where some people displayed their ignorance of the law to poison the atmosphere. There is nothing wrong with litigation, as it is a better option than the adoption of ‘self-help’ to seek redress for our grievances. Many countries are on the brink of war or building from the ashes of war because of the inability of the political class to handle election disputes amicably. The Cote d’Ivoire example is too close to be forgotten by Ghanaians, just like the challenges in Kenya where our own illustrious sons, Mr Kofi Annan, and former President J.A. Kufuor, played roles in restoring order after the elections of 2007. Having monitored the media platforms, including social media, the Daily Graphic thinks there is order as far as the election petition goes, since the Supreme Court drew the ‘touchline’ beyond which deviants would be brought to book. There was great furore among social commentators when the two persons were jailed for contempt, as some believed the Supreme Court’s action had the tendency to reverse the gains made in establishing a strong foundation for media freedom in the country. People are entitled to their opinions, but we should appreciate the fact that media freedom must be exercised with responsibility and self-regulation. A free-for-all regime will only spell doom for the country if media practitioners decide to be reckless. Let us enjoy the advantages of a free media to promote accountability and transparency in the conduct of public affairs, but that does not mean we should use the constitutional mandate to ruin reputations and jeopardise the peace of the country. It is heartwarming, however, that all Ghanaians who now have the opportunity to speak on any media platform preach the need for peace in the country, no matter the outcome of the Supreme Court verdict. The Daily Graphic calls on the parties in the petition to have trust and faith in the judicial process, since the judges will dispense justice without fear or favour. Over the past seven months or so, everything in the country has slowed down, as our partners have adopted the wait-and-see attitude. The Daily Graphic thinks Ghana has a glorious opportunity to rebound to lead the African renaissance if we make it a point to use the outcome of the petition to strengthen democratic governance. Mr Kofi Annan wrote a piece in this paper last month in which he urged the judges to base their ruling on a thorough and fair examination of the parties, leading to an impartial adjudication of the competing claims before the court. More importantly, he said, “The ball will soon be back to the politicians’ court. The successful party must overcome the temptation to gloat, and the other side must avoid the urge to cast doubt on the court and its decision.” Over to you, the parties in dispute and especially all Ghanaians who must uphold the stability of the country.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 09:02:42 +0000
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