It was a successful party conference, an apt determinant of the health of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and democracy in the country as a whole.
The NPP being one of the two dominant parties in the country, occurrences within it should be of concern to all Ghanaians. Those who represent the party and, therefore, who would direct its affairs should be persons of admirable pedigree who would rather democracy is provided the necessary impetus to thrive.
We would be in a better position to give a complete bill of good health for our democracy when the other dominant political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), register a similar feat when they go to the polls later and no bones are broken.
For now, they are having a field day refusing to offer an objective assessment of the programme, their preference being the dangling of jaundiced views which only spell their regret that it all went well.
There was no ‘show down’ threat and law enforcement officers deployed to the venue just watched on as things played out in tandem with the laid-out plans.
The Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Mustapha Gbande, was busy spewing nonsense about the polls when the polls ended. He took exception to the choice of Kojo Fosu Boadu aka Bamba, describing it as ‘politically backward.’
Whatever that means! His beef with the choice could stem from the fact that the NPP delegates have decided upon a grassroots man whom they identify with. The choice of a man associated with the internal security arrangement of the party, down-to-earth to such a top position shows one thing: the delegates want a departure from the elitist tangent. They prefer an amalgam of both sides of society.
Be it as it may, we are pleased to congratulate the party leadership, especially the organisers of the Kumasi programme which wonderful arrangement registered the success.
The incident-free programme should not be taken for granted. Things could have gone otherwise as witnessed in previous exercises when party congresses were marred by violence, as was the case when the NDC assembled for a programme at the University of Ghana some years back.
It is our hope that the standards set will serve as benchmark for future gathering of political parties for the purpose of voting and taking vital decisions pertaining to the management of their groupings.
Since the political leadership of the country as it is in other democratic jurisdictions are birthed by parties, it behooves the managers to conduct themselves in tune with the Electoral Laws of the land, integrity being the watchword.
Without such laws, all manner of persons bereft of integrity, including drug lords, would take interest in vying for political office just so their nefarious occupations would enjoy leverage.
Even as we congratulate the new executives, we would be quick to enjoin them to let the interests of Ghana be paramount in all their dealings.
Political parties being the channels for choosing future presidents and governments, their work must be guided by honesty and good governance.