Electoral Commission of Ghana must thread cautiously.

Regulation 47 (3) of the CI 127 establishes that all documents and records pertaining to the 2020 elections must be retained and preserved for a period of one year, unless otherwise directed by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Any other action contrary to this will not only be illegal and criminal but will cast deep shadow of doubts over the integrity and true independence of the Electoral Commission, in tandem the just ended declaration of 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary results.

It will only leave many objective minds and observers wonder while questioning the ulterior motive, intention and purpose of such premature decisions when it's only five (5) days since the election results were declared.

A referee, just like in football, has many ways of showing bias towards the other team. It could be through infringements, showing of cards and deliberate punishment such as penalties.

However, what has not been chronicled about such biased referees is personally scoring  goals  to give victory to the side of the team they are, It has never happened.

This analogy presupposes that even biased referees are expected to be smart and intelligent while being objective pretentiously.

The continuous chameleon lifestyle of the EC is gradually becoming an incumbrance to our national peace and stability looking at the nirvana of challenges it poses to our democracy.

bismarktetteh27@gmail.com

0245799748/0553094002

Justice delayed is justice denied.

Some months past, when George Floyd was strangled to death, my mother Ghana become Chief Mourners.

Ghanaians including the Government of Ghana (GoG) joined a global campaign including #BlackLivesMatter, #JusticesForFloyd #EveryLifeMatter etc. As a nation we have joined cords with many other nations to seek for justice for either innocent lives lost or cruel treatments meted out to any individual or a group of people anywhere around the global village.

The GoG under the stewardship of the Commander In Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, His Imperial Majesty; His Excellency the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo organized a state sponsored memorial in honor of George Floyd.

The event, even though received severe backlash from many Ghanaians due to the huge amount of money purported to have been spent, the President "collected his name" as he was recognized by several global media outlets and acknowledged at the main funeral ceremony of Floyd.

Fast forward, on the 7th of December 2020, Ghanaians went to the polls to exercise one of their essential fundamental human rights, to exercise their franchise; to decide who leads them in the next four years.

Along the process, Five (5) individuals who were unarmed Ghanaian citizens were SHOT DEAD by Ghanaian Military. Their offence is that they wanted to protect their sovereign rights and make sure their voices are heard through the ballot counts.

Worrisomely, it seems these souls are not enough to be lost so to demand for outright justice.

As I write, not even the Government of Ghana or the President who thought it wise to organize a memorial for one single soul lost far away in the United States has uttered a single word over this disturbing circumstance.

We have a lazy group called National Peace Council, Ghana who are behaving like everything is normal, shamelessly preaching peace without seeking justice.

The least said about the media the better. This is the only time the Ghana Journalists Association has found their loud voice to bemoan over attacks but have remained deaf and dumb when time past their members were physically assaulted under this same government. The media has done absolutely nothing to seek for justice for these 5 Ghanaians whose only crime was to protect their votes. For biases of the media, you may be my guest.

We equally have a charade of Ghanaian populace who unfortunately describe themselves as NEUTRALS. They are everywhere jumping and singing praises that this elections has been the most peaceful, free and fair. Perhaps, when their relative becomes a victim of such selective injustice, they'd speak out, until then let's accept them sitting on the fence but with interests.

Brothers and Sisters, our nation, without any modicum of doubt is set on the path of retrogression and backwardness.

Just like the George Owens Animals Farm, some humans are more human than others, some are more Ghanaians than others depending on which part of the country you hail from, which tribe you belong to, who you know and on which side of the political divide you are aligned to.

Martin Luther King was right to have said , "those who allow evil to go only become accomplices to it".

But the day of reckoning is far approached. The people shall rise and seek for justice by whichever means possible and available to them and its denouement may be such that we can not anticipate as a nation..

Justice delayed is justice denied!!!

#JusticeForAll

#JUSTICEforALLthevictims

bismarktetteh27@gmail.com

0245799748/0553094002

Our democracy has come a long way to be distorted.

In no point in time should unarmed citizens be shot dead, not even on election periods when stakes are so high and candidates bent on winning at all cost.

It is completely backwardness and a smack on our long preserved democratic credentials to have innocent souls slaughtered for power thirsty individuals to cling unto power, by fair or foul means.

Our forefathers paid greatly to lay down a peaceful and non destructive cords of an impeccable democratic lines that's foreshadowed to transcend through our generation and to the last before the four cardinals of the earth are folded.

It must be noted that democracy just like a machine is bound to be faulty. When it happens, we must not resort to guns, fist and blood sheds in it's resolution. There are properly laid down processes in addressing such lapses.

The myraid of attacks, violence and thuggery meted out to citizens at the just ended 2020 elections is not only sad but terrifyingly embarrassing.

The powers that be, the masterminds and orchestrators of such barbaric acts won't go without punishment, it may be today or tomorrow. The precious blood of all these innocent souls are stained on the hands of blood thirsty candidates. Their blood would demand for justice either in this mortal life or the next to come.

These acts are very gross and must be condemned by all and sundry.

No sane person must be seen or heard defending such incongruous and wicked acts. If anyone does, the fellow must be given an immediate medical attention.

These are sad moments for our beloved country.

And may the blood of the innocent rise at the rise of the sun till it set to demand for justice!

bismarktetteh27@gmail.com

0245799748/0553094002

Democratic Forum mourns H.E Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings.

It was with heavy hearts and pensive mood when we received the ever shocking news of the sudden demise of H.E Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings.

Until his transition, President Rawlings was the Chairman of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), became Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) in 1981, founded the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and was the first President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

He goes down in memory as someone who fought endlessly for social justice and the principles of probity and accountability. As a Pan-Africanist who believed in the African project of reuniting and liberating the continent from the shackles of imperialism and oppression, he stood and fought for those principles to the latter.

All of us at the Democratic Forum, a non profit institution that's focused on championing the cause of quality but affordable education, youth development and good healthcare delivery, sends our most heartfelt condolences to the former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, the immediate family, former workers, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the good people of Ghana and the entire world.

Indeed, we shall never forget his immense contributions to the cause of Ghana, Africa, and the World. His words and actions should be immortalized.

Ghana has lost a hero!

Rest in eternal glory Papa, until our final journey to our eternal destination.

Signed

Tetteh Djem Bismark

0245799748 / 0553094002

Communications Director

Democratic Forum

WIND OF CHANGE!

There's a wind of CHANGE blowing across the globe... Those changes won't come by itself like manna falling from the Heavens.... It would be kingly dependant on the readiness and willingness of the people, chiefly among them includes the Youths, Farmers, Teachers, Health Workers, the Security, SME owners, Importers & Exporters, Entrepreneurs etc to work effortlessly and expediently to embrace such circumventions.

This is not just any mistaken change anchored on well calculated lies and complete deception. But one that inspires hope, promises decent jobs for the teaming Youths, one that's expected to be driven on the tenants of an all inclusive governance, one that allows institutions to fully operate in an aura of self independence, respect for one another and one that finally allows media freedom.

One of such changes is expected to transpire within the political landscape.

One of such greatest political upset is about to occur, hopefully tomorrow in the United States.

From Arizona to Massachusetts to Wisconsin, everyone is fired up to EMBRACE CHANGE!

#BidenHarris2020

#BidenHarris2020ToSaveAmerica

#ChangeIsComing

#ManInWhite

Arrest and prosecute Secessionists, if gov't's hands are clean.

Whenever there's a very essential national discourse under deliberation, that's when the so called Secessionists and their allies rear their ugly head.

It is now crystal clear that this is a decoy and well crafted orchestrations by some crooked and coward elements within the the structures of National Security to always steal away attention from national matters.

If your guess is as good as mine, you'd come to terms that these are part of the plots to justify the heavy military presence within those territories during the voter registration exercise.

If we should play by the devil's advocate role, we can without any modicum of doubt foreshadow a possible new military deployment and further, the chains of curfew placed on the necks of people within those communities as electioneering period draws nigh.

If rule of law and it's enforcement protocols haven't been mortgaged for self aggrandizement and parochial gains, such groups should be arrested and prosecuted with immediate effect, for they're criminals and nation wreckers.

Let's not be blind by political gains and be hiding behind government machineries to cause harm, but approach every issue with a sense of nationalism.

This is a national subterfuge with political motivations, its needless!!!

#SpeakOut

#ManInWhite

The People's Manifesto (NDC) Or The Four More To Do More Manifesto(NPP)?..... The Youths Stake!

Around the world, young people have played a crucial role in a multitude of social and political movements and transformations.

With a retrospective glance at passionate young people from any era, you'll find impressive catalysts for change.

When we look at some of the most powerful movements or protests across the globe, it's evident that they were fueled by young activists who're poised at both socioeconomic and political circumvention.

From the Parkland Students to the Arab Spring, teenagers and young adults have an undiluted history of pushing for social change.

The Civil Rights Movements (Alabama Marches), the Arab Spring, the Vietnam War Protest, the Tiananmen Square (pre-democracy Movement) and the Indigenous Water Rights Protest for instance. These are at least the five(5) most powerful movements or activism fueled and anchored on the tenant of Youth readiness, determination and strive to restore human dignities.

Currently, Ghana has a young age structure, with approximately 57% of the population under the age of 25.

This age structure denotes more than half of the entire Ghanaian population falls within the category of “Youths”.

Significantly so, it suggests that whatever decision the government of the day takes through policy implementation, it directly affects us more than the others in the age structure.

Intriguingly, it has however been quite unease for many political parties to directly engage the Youth of this nation in drafting their Manifestos and other key policy documents.

As it stands now, the two major political parties in Ghana i.e. the NDC & the NPP have launched their Manifestos.

This is the time for us to come together as young people and sit at the table of reasoning where patriotism, sense of purpose, love for nation and the urgent need for youth development overflows.

The dawn of Election 2020 draws nigh and it's our “call-to-duty” responsibility to critically examine, analyze and peruse both Manifestos. There's therefore the need to among other factors consider which of these two policy documents is geared towards JOB Creation, ACCESS to Primary Health Care, support for Private, Tertiary & TVET Education, support Ghana's Entrepreneurial Spirit, Small & Medium Scale Enterprises, Legalize and Regulate other means of Transportation, Youth Development, to invest heavily in Infrastructure Development and allows All-inclusive Governance to thrive.

With this, we would be able to embrace the political party that truly has the interests of young people at heart, to consider which Manifesto outlines key policy initiatives to transform the lives of young men and women and finally endorse the political that appreciates the fact that young people are the catalysts for our future's breakthrough in technology, innovation, artificial intelligence, agribusiness, finance, telecommunication, cybersecurity, anti-terrorism and nation building.

I couldn't have agreed more with Micaela Iron Shell-Dominguez, when she emphatically said “The Youth Are Tired Of Thinking They Don't Have A Future”.

This is our time, let's take up the moment and make the best out of it.

Let's make decisions that's best for our future and generation yet unborn would be proud of. Decisions that would neither shutter our dreams nor truncate our ambitions but those that would bring us joy, prosperity, peace and tranquility.

CHOOSE WISELY!

The Youths Voice!

The writer of this piece is a Former National Student leader, Youths Development Advocate and a Political Communication Analyst.

bismarktetteh27@gmail.com