<<Print>>

Former President Frederik Willem de Klerk of South Africa on Wednesday urged the media in Ghana to promote national reconciliation to hasten the healing process in the aftermath of the Supreme Court�s ruling on the 2012 Presidential petition. Mr de Klerk, who spoke to journalists in Accra on Wednesday, said there was high level of despondency in the country and it was important for Ghanaians to take introspective views of themselves to make things better. He said the media�s role was very critical at a time when the nation needed healing from the bruises it suffered but added that the loose cannons in the media turned to tarnish their image. The former President said self-regulation by the media was important to ensure that ethical journalistic standards were upheld and welcomed the call by the Electoral Commission for proposals from stakeholders on electoral reforms. He further said the process should be based on multiparty approach to build consensus among the stakeholders. Mr de Klerk said he was not in Ghana to stick his nose into the affairs of the nation, but as an African, he recognized Ghana as one of the most important countries on the continent. The former President said it was important that Ghana continued to blaze the trails as a shining example for the rest of Africa. �The essential message I want to leave you is that Ghana has been doing things the right way, but for every nation there is the need for a period of deep introspection,� he said.