Kofi Awuku-Asare, Contributing Writer.
Reference to our June 8, 2012 issue of the Lion’s Pride, center spread, captioned:
“Election 2012: The Road Map to the Whitehouse,” we stand here together as concerned citizens to speak proudly of our victories won.
As echoed in the reference publication, the United States of America (US) has for the past 2 decades become a role model to Ghana’s infant and perpetually nurtured democracy in the West African Sub Region. The US model of democracy remains truly inspirational to many developing democracies across the length and breadth of the globe.
After successfully approaching the polls in December 7 and 20 respectively, both Ghana and the US, were subjecting the democratic process to yet another trial. Of course as our seniors, we did not much envisage a fragile outcome from the US elections as compared to the delicate nature of Ghana’s.
Remarkably speaking, Ghana, unlike the US, is a pluralized democratic political society, enjoying multi-party democracy, compared to their counterparts in the US who are mainly two-party democracy viz. Republican and Democrats. These features notwithstanding, the two main political parties in Ghana, from amongst whom power had swung concurrently over the last two decades, are each inclined to the ideals, political philosophies, and democratic ideologies of the two main political domains in the US- Democrats and Republicans. The newly elected National Democratic Congress (NDC), is much inclined to the political ideologies of the ruling Democrats in the US, whilst the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), is deeply rooted in the political ideologies of Republicanism.
Another significant milestone, worthy of mention in our analysis of last year’s election between these two countries is the fact, that they both recorded straight jacket wins. In the case of Ghana, a first round landslide of 50.7% for the NDC against their contenders record of 47.7% for the NPP was the outcome. The US on the other hand witnessed a complete victory for the Democrats, in both the popular votes, and Electoral College. Another landslide for the presumed predestined Barack Obama. Is this suggestive of a massive victory of a political democrats’ ideology?
By honoring the Constitution, the newly – elect President of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama was officially inaugurated as the President of Ghana on January 7, and his NDC – led government was fully constituted.
A delegation from the US, led by Mr. Daniel W. Yohannes, CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, partook in Ghana’s colorful ceremony.
“As the United States prepares for our own presidential inauguration later this month, I recognize that the freedom to choose our leaders and hold them accountable is what unites so many of us around the world in a journey toward democratic values, pluralism and civil liberties. Witnessing what happened in Ghana on Monday with President Mahama’s inauguration affirms our common humanity united by such shared principles,” said Daniel Yohannes, according to sources from http://www.mcc.gov/pages/povertyreductionblog/entry/blog-01082013-ghanainauguration.
Following the same constitutional order in the US, the newly-elect President, His Excellency Barack Hussein Obama was fully inaugurated and sworn in for the second time consecutively, at exactly 11: 56 am ET at the Whitehouse on January 20, and his Democrat – led government fully constituted. The President’s Oath was administered by His Lordship John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States of America. The President was accompanied to the stage for the solemn exercise by the First Lady, Her Excellency Michelle Obama, and their two daughters – Malia and Sasha. A family Bible of the First Family was used for the Oath of allegiance. The Bible is told to have been bequeathed to them by Michelle’s Grandparent. Previous occasions have been observed with Bibles from different sources used for the same exercise.
Observe a statement like this from the President, immediately after his Oath, but whilst embracing his beloved daughter, Sasha: “I did it.” What does it suggest to you, the country and the world? The world will recall that in his first attempt at the Oath of office in 2009, either through no fault of his, or by stage freight, the Chief Justice nearly committed him to an unforgivable embarrassment. Trivial though such things must be considered, the momentum and the global attention on this all important occasion made it a big case across the globe when the President slipped tongue and misplaced the wording of his last inaugural Oath. Media sources indicate that the Whitehouse did not take it kindly on him, in the event of the aftermath of the exercise. So given the second opportunity, and having accomplished it with great precision; It wholly explains why he would remark as above and regain his confidence in the eyes of the world and his proudly accommodated family.
By congressional arrangement, because the 20th fell on a Sunday, the government honored its constitutional obligation of taking the Oath on the 20th, but also made another arrangement by way of tradition or creating a Convention to take another Public Oath of Office on the 21st which fell on a Monday.
Early on in the day, the Vice President elect, Mr. Joe Biden went through the drill by taking the Oath of office in his Naval Observatory residence, in the audience of a few more family members and friends. His Oath of office was administered by Justice Sotomayor, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He later joined the President in observing an annual ritual of wreath laying on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cemetery, before the President took his turn of the Oath of Office, some few minutes before noon.
The conventional celebration of the inauguration of the US President witnessed a mammoth gathering of patriotic citizens who gathered at the façade of the West Wing of the Capitol to witness a rather colorful ceremony on the 22nd of January. The president is resolute under all circumstance to preserve the constitution and ensure the dignity of life of the citizenry.
“Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution.” We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names.”
“What makes us exceptional, what makes us America is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” said the President on a live telecast coverage of the event by CNN news.
Later in the day, the President promenaded the principal streets of Pennsylvania, especially the 7th Street where thousands of families, love ones, party faithfuls, and patriotic citizens gathered by the roadside to wave and cheer the President, the First Lady, The Vice President and his wife, and their entourage.
The day also coincided with the commemoration of another lord of the land- Martin Luther King Jnr, who lived his life in full realization of conscience. He is a hero, who fought for the joy of the current generation. Martin Luther King Jnr. was a freedom advocate, who took after his father’s ideals, values and philosophies. He was not a prophet of doom, but a visionary, whose aspirations many follow today as a dream – come – true.
One major focal point at this point in time in the geo-politics of the two countries in focus is the internal unity of their respective countries, Ghana and the United States for that matter. In Ghana, the opposition NPP has criticized the ruling NDC government of vote rigging in the 2012 presidential elections, and had consequently disputed the official election results released by the Electoral Commission. The NPP Party has however, pledged its commitment to the rule of law and constitutional democracy, by not disturbing the peace of the country. Instead, it has taken series of actions, and democratic processes to resolve their grievances by filling a suit in the Supreme Court of Ghana against the government, and challenging the legitimacy of their victory in the just ended presidential elections.
However, election observers from the international community have described the just ended presidential elections in Ghana as peaceful, free and fair, but for a few technical problems encountered that resulted in a second day of voting in the country. As a related development, the opposition NPP, including all NPP Members of Parliament, boycotted the inauguration ceremony of Ghana’s newly elect President in the person of H.E. John Dramani Mahama. A cross section of an NPP youth group was also alleged to have besieged the house of former President John Agyekum Kuffour of the NPP against the former president’s defiance of his Party’s stance, to boycott the ceremony.
“Anybody who says that I have betrayed the NPP by attending President Mahama’s inauguration is only following his emotions. Leading a nation is not easy, so where I have reached, I am more of a statesman than mere party person,” said former President Kuffour, according to an Accra-based radio station, Joy FM reports.
President Mahama has since appealed to the opposition to let sleeping dogs lie and join the nation to focus on its developmental agenda.
“‘I will not let you down’ ‘The promises that I have made are the promises I intend to keep,’” said President Mahama according to an Accra-based radio station- City FM reports. The President of Ghana has also pledged his commitment to maintaining the peace of the country, as the best model of democracy in the sub region.
On the other hand, in the United States, CNN collated polls indicate that about 76% of the citizenry think that the country is divided on socio-political grounds. This is a huge picture of an unwarranted occurrence for the government of President Barack Obama. The implication therefore, is that both countries must deploy their best leadership styles as unifiers to bring their respective societies together for the common good of their respective countries and for effective global alliances and development.
Both countries need to focus much on socio economic reforms that will take care of the rising unemployment index, healthcare, education and fiscal stability. The US is far advanced in terms of its development trend, so for Ghana as a developing economy, it needs to focus on its agricultural policies to increase productivity and entrench its drive towards industrialization by giving a value addition to its agricultural produce. Now Ghana is also an exporter of oil after its discovery by Tullow and other industry players. Prudent economic measures must be put in place to give room for good governance, accountability and poverty reduction in the developing region. The pledge of governments towards the welfare of the citizenry especially, in African economies must be practicalized and the civil society must also rise and remain active in their quest for participatory democracy, which they are exploring.
The major issue confronting the Obama- led administration in the current dispensation is the commonly known gun control legislation, the fiscal cliff and major domestic economic reforms. Now that the war on al-Qaeda and terrorism has been brought to its barest minimum control, the country looks forward to more prudent domestic socio-economic policies that will place the country on its rightful paradigm shift.
On their successful inauguration ceremonies as the Presidents of the United States and Ghana, we say congratulations to Mr. Obama and Mr. Mahama respectively.
