Former president Jerry John Rawlings has marked this year’s commemoration of the June 4th uprising with a call on Ghanaians to revisit the lessons of past events.
At a virtual durbar to mark the 41st anniversary, the former President indicated that Ghanaians have not grasp the full lessons of their past because history has been distorted while corruption thrives.
“We have so mastered the art of untruth in our books, on our radios, on our televisions and now through the Internet so much so that historical truths and facts are struggling to be recognized. People are paid a lot of corrupt money to distort and lie about historical truths”, he said.
According to him, it is not surprising that the country keeps “committing the same blunders over and over.”
Speaking on the theme Strengthening the Spirit of Patriotism, Resilience and Integrity in Difficult Times, he noted the commemoration was important because it offers an opportunity to reflect, ponder and reexamine the conduct and policies in line with the core values of probity, accountability, integrity and social justice. The former president also called on stakeholders to support the Electoral Commission which, he described“as the fulcrum of our multiparty democracy”.
This, according to him is to ensure a free and fair election and a peaceful society as the nation prepares for the 2020 general elections.
He also charged the EC, to ensure that the processes leading to this year’s elections are done in consultation with the stakeholders of the nation in order to prevent unnecessary suspicion.
“…towards November let us ensure that the institutional processes are transparent and beyond blemish. Freedom and justice is not abstract. It is very much related to the sanctity of the right of choice.”
Touching on the controversies surrounding the compilation of the new voters’ register, he said it is important that concerns be “thoroughly examined so we do not undermine the successes we have chalked so far, as a nation”, he stated.
“Those who are eligible to exercise that right of choice should not and cannot be disenfranchised by dictates that defeat one’s right to vote”, he stated.
The June 4th uprising preceded series of event when some members of the military, moved by mass social and public discontent, took over the governance of the country. The following three months led to a ‘housecleaning’ exercise after which elections were held and the mantle of political leadership handed over to the government of the People’s National Party, ushering in the Third Republic.
