Our political institutions are getting stronger – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama on Friday said the electoral systems of the country had over the years experienced some political metamorphosis and would continue in that direction to enrich Ghana’s democratic dispensation.

“Since 1992, our political institutions have grown stronger, considering the fact that we started using metal ballot boxes with padlocks, counting of ballots in another centre and even voting without identification cards.” He added.

President Mahama said this when five presidential candidates in the 2012 general election called on him at the Flagstaff House, Kanda.

The candidates; Dr Abu Sakara, Convention People’s Party, Mr Hassan Ayariga, People’s National Convention, Mr Jacob Osei Yeboah, Independent candidate, Kwesi Addae Odike, United Front Party and Henry Lartey, Ghana Consolidated People’s Party were at the Presidency to congratulate him for his victory in the election petition verdict.

The candidates, who paid similar visits to the President and Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, New Patriotic Party Presidential candidate before the verdict, had already visited the NPP candidate before coming back to President Mahama.

President Mahama commended them for their tremendous role they played before the election petition verdict describing the situation as exceptional, as other countries would have differed from their stance.

He said the election verdict had further raised higher Ghana’s position among her peers in the international community and appealed to all the failed candidates to lend their support to achieve the development goals of the country.

President Mahama announced that government would soon organize a constitutional conference that would bring together all politicians and technocrats to draft the roadmap for constitutional review.

He appealed to the failed candidates to avail themselves in the conference to support other stakeholders to provide a summary of policy priorities that would embolden government to embark on massive economic development.

All the candidates expressed their desire to offer their support and expertise to President Mahama to execute his development agenda for the country in the coming years.

They also appealed to President Mahama to run an all-inclusive government that would reduce political polarization in the country.

Source: GNA