YAHOO GROUP DISCUSSIONS ON GHANA'S POST-2012 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIOS-MY CONTRIBUTION ____________________________________________________________________________________ Nii George, As usual, your sharpened cutlass is ready for the “coconut heads” and we have seen many in post-Independent Africa as leaders. The difference this time is that this is now hitting back home in our back yard as our charity begins at home in Ghana. Those of us who have been involved in Ghana politics for decades, so much effort has been invested for true democratic freedom to prevail in Ghana. We have had many heroes. past and present, in our political history. These include the leaders of U.G.F.C.C., the Ashanti Warrior Queen-mother, Nana Yaa Asantewaa, many other Traditional Chiefs and their Queen-mothers, through Dr. J. B. Danquah, Prof. K.A Busia and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to the present dedicated Ghanaians who have sacrificed and are still sacrificing their lives, money and careers, to ensure that true freedom and democracy is the only hope for the prosperity not only for Ghana but for the rest of Africa. These efforts include defeating Colonialism, one-Party State of President Nkrumah’s CPP and the subsequent military dictatorships with the hope of establishing peace and stability as well as economic prosperity not only for every society as we did for our political freedom from Colonial rule. The conspiracy theories by other governments to under develop other Nations, much as there is historical validity in our human history, are not as significant today. Crisis in many parts of the world can be significantly attributed to lack of common sense in securing political power and common sense of governance in many countries in Africa and other parts of the world. Some of us are therefore determined to exclude Ghana to this general rule. In Ivory Coast just next to our border, similar events followed their 2010 Presidential elections. The presidential elections that should have been organized in 2005 were postponed until November 2010. The preliminary results announced by the Electoral Commission showed a loss for the incumbent President Gbagbo in favour of his rival, former Prime Minister, Alassane Ouattara. The ruling FPI contested the results before the Constitutional Council, charging massive fraud in the northern departments controlled by the rebels of the Forces Nouvelles de Côte d'Ivoire (FNCI) of now President Ouattar. These charges were contradicted by international observers. The report of the results led to severe tension and violent incidents. The Constitutional Council, which consisted of Gbagbo supporters, declared the results of seven northern departments unlawful and that Gbagbo had won the elections with 51% of the vote (instead of Ouattara winning with 54%, as reported by the Electoral Commission). After the inauguration of Gbagbo, Ouattara was recognized as the winner by most countries and the United Nations. An alternative inauguration was organized to make Ouattaral the legitimate President. The former incumbent President Gbagbo was arresyted arrested and tortured to the silence of the very international community.These events raised fears of a resurgence of the civil war; thousands of refugees have fled the country. The African Union sent Thabo Mbeki, former President of South Africa, to mediate the conflict. The United Nations Security Council adopted a common resolution recognising Alassane Ouattara as winner of the elections, based on the position of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). ECOWAS suspended Ivory Coast from all its decision-making bodies while the African Union also suspended the country's membership. In Ghana, our difference and advantage over the political conditions in Ivory Coast and other parts of Africa is that Ghanaians, both home and abroad, have full confidence in our Supreme Court. The Ghana Constitution specifically has enshrined it, the right of the losing Party to appeal to the Supreme Court. According to Article 64 (1) of the 1992 Constitution: “The validity of the election of the President may be challenged only by a citizen of Ghana who may present a petition for the purpose to the Supreme Court within twenty-one days after the declaration of the result of the election in respect of which the petition is presented”. The NPP Opposition Party candidate has filed an appeal challenging the declaration of the result by the Electoral Commissioner as to the validity of the President-elect, John Mahama. The President-elect will be in contempt of the Supreme Court if he goes ahead with the Inauguration Ceremony. Our political leaders will have to apply the common sense and the rule of law as crisis prevention. President John Mahama will still remain the President of Ghana until we get the final ruling from the Supreme Court declaring the results valid or invalid and new elections should be held. This is the only way to prevent the political crisis in Ghana and also ensure the legitimacy of the Presidency of John Mahama. The international observers, the United Nations, the leaders of other Governments, as well as the world media are never mentioned in our Ghana Constitution to be arbiters, validate or invalidate our electoral process and results in Ghana. The Supreme Court should therefore impose an injunction order to stop the inauguration of the President-elect John Mahama as President following the declaration by the Electoral Commissioner in the Decmber 5th Presidential and Parliamentary elections. The decision should be based on the Ghana Supreme Court’s ruling on the appeal by the Opposition candidate, Nana Akuffo-Addo, since the appeal has been accepted by the Ghana Supreme Court. What is complicated about this? Logic reason and common sense should prevail over emotions and power corruption. Ghana’s new found political maturity and stability must equally be admired and respected by the very international community who prefer to interfere with our Constitution and how best to interpret it to declare the President of Ghana. Ghana has a chance to once again prove to ourselves and outside world that we are the Black Stars shining over many dark corners of the African continent. Let there be no political violence. All the leaders of the Parties in Ghana should advice their supporters accordingly to be peaceful. We don’t need the Military, the Police or any Security Forces to roam in our villages, towns, and cities to rape our women and kill our unarmed civilians in pretext of securing peace. Happy New Year. Ghanaians will be dancing our Highlife music, for we are happy people. We even sing ang and dance while mourning at funerals. Lets show to the outside world, the richness of our traditions and culture. The Chiefs, the Queen-mothers and our overwhelming Christian institutions with the Clergy will play very important variety of roles including Prayers and Libations to end this en passé peaceful for our democracy to endure. Thank you, Prof. George Ayittey, for opening the way for my response and your work with me under the Free Africa Foundation. Felix Amankona Diawuoh Colorado Springs. CO. January 6, 2013