The Avoidance of Discrimination Act of 1957 was a major legislation intended to restrict political parties whose membership belonged to a single ethnic grouping, region or faith towards national cohesion.
This saw the smaller parties formed along such lines coming together to form major parties with a national coverage; a major step towards national cohesion.
The Muslim Association Party (MAP) and Northern People’s Party (NPP) merged to form the United Party (UP) under the leadership of Kofi Abrefa Busia.
Although opponents of Kwame Nkrumah saw the legislation as a move by him to consolidate power, it went a long way to ensure national cohesion.
Over the years since independence, motley interventions some through civic education have been rolled out to solidify national cohesion.
It is therefore outrageous and mindboggling that sixty-eight years after independence as a nation, some political leaders would seek to turn the hands of the clock backwards.
The divisive utterances of such political leaders in their party’s internal campaigns for the flagbearer slot are undeniably detrimental to national security and cohesion. Such an antiquated tangent being traversed by persons who want to lead this country?
Politicians, regardless of their parties, who campaign aping tribal and religious bigotry should not only be rejected but regarded as national security risks who should be treated as such by the appropriate security agencies.
We have always pointed it out that actions within the two dominant political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) determine the quality and health of our democracy.
It is for good reasons that the Political Parties Law exists. Without this legislation, our democracy would be reduced to a state of nature and national security threatened unimaginably.
Presidents who form their governments are chosen from the two dominant parties. It is for this reason those who seek to lead the political groupings from which the president is elected must be persons of impeccable substance.
Those who are reckless in their conduct and utterances should not be elected by the electorate internally and on the broader national level. Leadership is not about money but wealth of ideas which would ensure progress of the nation.
We should be concerned as a people when untoward rhetoric are noticed within each of the two dominant parties.
In the past few weeks, the actions of some politicians within the opposition NPP as they canvas for votes from an expanded delegates’ roll call are tilting towards desperation and unfortunately bordering on religious and tribal bigotry.
In a country whose constitution demands that the president’s appointments of government should be mindful about the diverse backgrounds of the population so there is a balance, the action of the morally defaulting politicians should be cause for concern.
We are one people with a common destiny. God created us in diversity of faith, ethnicity and colour for a purpose—so that we would know each other well. Reject them therefore who preach tribal and faith bigotry because that inappropriate attribute of theirs is counterproductive.