Founder of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, wants a regulation that will set aside a three-month period for general election campaigns.
According to him, such move will save the country millions of cedis which could be channeled into developing deprived towns and time which he said will force “professional politician to find productive work to do.”
Dr. Nduom in a recent piece observed that campaigning never ended even after the 2012 election; a situation he said adversely affects the country.
[contextly_sidebar id=”tvcHNalw0wjoceJdzy3u6cF1SZFdO2uZ”]“We have seen the images and heard all the noise as soon as the 2012 election ended and the campaigning has not stopped. So I am asking Ghanaians to ask everyone who has decided or is thinking about contesting the 2016 elections, myself included; what we have done since December 2012 to better the lot of our people. What has each and every one of us done, besides talking, to help develop our country specifically? How have we created or promoted the creation of jobs?”
Ghanaians will on November 7, 2016 go to the polls to elect a president to lead the country for the next four years as well as parliamentary candidates to represent them in Parliament.
Dr. Nduom and some economists have bemoaned the profligate expenditure that characterizes election seasons.
But President John Dramani Mahama has assured that his government will not overspend in this year’s election.
Below is the full piece by Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom:
Permanently Campaigning? When Do We Develop Ghana?
When does campaigning start and stop? When do we develop Ghana? Do political parties exist only for elections? I don’t think so.
And why do many of our people think that they must become professional politicians with nothing to do but run down their political opponents, find a way at all cost to win power and then spend any money that comes their way to remain in power? Question: What did John Dramani Mahama, Nana Akufo-Addo and Papa Kwesi Nduom do yesterday that can create one job and/or improve the standard of living somewhere in Ghana?
We have seen the images and heard all the noise as soon as the 2012 election ended and the campaigning has not stopped. So I am asking Ghanaians to ask everyone who has decided or is thinking about contesting the 2016 elections, myself included what we have done since December 2012 to better the lot of our people. What has each and every one of us done, besides talking, to help develop our country, specifically? How have we created or promoted the creation of jobs?
I am asking, can we not set aside two months (September and October) for the 2016 campaign? Or maybe three? No rallies, public gatherings or frantic crisis-crossing the country? We could all save some money and invest in developing our towns and villages. Professional politicians will be forced to find productive work to do. Radio and television stations will be forced to find content that will promote unity, peace and development for three and three quarter years.
Imagine that!
Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom
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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin