IEA Commends Akufo-Addo

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has commended Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Flagbearer of the new patriotic Party (NPP) for accepting the verdict of the Supreme Court in good faith without seeking a review. The IEA said, "This is a demonstration of good statesmanship beyond parochial interests". It also commended President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for striking a unifying tone and sounding conciliatory in their acceptance of the Supreme Court ruling. A statement signed by Mrs Jean Mensa, Executive Director of the IEA and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Thursday said: �We are happy to note that so far, the party�s victory celebration has been magnanimous and decorous�. The IEA commended the leadership of both the NPP and the NDC for resorting to due processes of law to address the dispute arising from the 2012 presidential election. It said the nearly eight month period of post-election dispute at the Supreme Court without resorting to violence, marked Ghana out as a truly maturing democracy in the West African sub-region and indeed, the entire continent of Africa. It noted that it was certainly a victory for Ghana�s multiparty democracy and an important landmark in the system of governance as a constitutional democracy. �The election petition process tested the resilience of democratic institutions in Ghana and the whole world was monitoring the reaction of Ghanaians after the Supreme Court�s ruling. �The response of Ghanaians in the aftermath of the verdict has, once again, underlined our country�s status as a maturing democracy. �Other political institutions like the Parliament, the Judiciary, and the Security Agencies were tested and they did not fail,� the statement said. The IEA therefore commended all Ghanaians for their contribution to Ghana�s drive towards democratic maturity and for refraining from acts that could have disturbed the peace and stability of the country. It called on the leadership of both the NDC and NPP to continue demonstrating good faith and rigidly adhere to the provisions of the 2012 Political Parties Code of Conduct, which they prepared and signed in the run-up to the 2012 General Elections, in the interest of national peace.