Let’s put national interest first in dialogue over voters register

The Presiding Bishop of The Methodist Church Ghana, Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to put the national interest first in the vexed dialogue on the way forward concerning the voters register.

He stressed the need for the EC to involve independent-minded Ghanaians to arrive at a decision in the supreme interest of the country, given the entrenched positions taken by the two main political parties. 

Most Rev. Prof. Asante, who is also the Chairman of the National Peace Council, made this known in an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic.

“This is important and in fact, the National Peace Council has also insisted that the EC should pay close attention to every submission that political parties, organisations and individuals bring,” he said. 

Non partisan

According to him, the EC should endeavour to bring together non-partisan people who have the nation at heart to critically examine all the submissions and come up with a consensus statement that would bring about the much-needed reforms which would be beneficial to the nation.

He said although the various political parties, as well as other interest groups had the right to canvass their positions, their actions should not go to undermine the peace and stability of the nation.

“For me, I don’t take sides with the kind of proposition by the political parties. If it turns out that it is necessary for us to have a new register, so be it. If it turns out that the majority thinks it should be revised and cleansed, so be it, but let us with an open mind, listen to positions and get people we can trust, sit with and we have a lot of people in the country we can trust,” he said.

Multiparty democracy

Touching on the state of multiparty democracy in the country, Most Rev. Prof. Asante explained that the purpose was for the nation to pool human resources together to push the country forward.

He, however, expressed discomfort with “this winner-takes-all business. We need to share responsibilities and we need to tap everybody’s contributions to advance our country.”

This, according to him, was not happening, adding that the nation was suffering simply because “we have not been able to harness all the available human resources for the rapid socio-economic development of the country.”

“To the nation, I say Ghana is one. We practice multiparty democracy and the purpose of it is for us to pool resources and our energies to push our country forward.

“We need to tap everybody’s contribution to advance our country, so let us live and let others live, but let us pool resources. United we stand, divided we fall,” Most Rev. Prof. Asante noted.

Different interests

He said although there was bound to be conflict since Ghanaians represented different interests, there was the need to manage such conflicts in such a manner that they did not give in to violence.

“Every nation has a conflict. How we manage conflict among us must be the issue. Let us rise up and build Ghana,” he said. 

Most Rev. Prof. Asante, whose six-year term of office as the Head of The Methodist Church Ghana expires this weekend, explained that his leadership of the National Peace Council was not linked with his being the Presiding Bishop, explaining that by the Act establishing the council, his term of office was four years.

Asked if he would consider remaining in office if he was renominated, Most Rev. Prof. Asante said if the Christian Council of Ghana renominated him, he would continue to serve the nation in all humility as before.

Judicial scandal

Commenting on the recent scandal that has rocked the Judicial Service, Most Rev. Prof. Asante said it was not just about the judiciary but the entire Ghanaian society. 

“This should draw our attention to the fact that corruption is a naked reality in our society and we need to take concrete and drastic steps to arrest the situation.”

“I need to fight corruption in me. You must fight corruption in you. All must fight corruption in us to advance our country,” he added.