Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, flag bearer of New Patriotic Party (NPP), has called on the international observer community to observe the December Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Ghana. A statement issued by the Akufo-Addo campaign team copied to Ghana News Agency said he made the call when he addressed addressed the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Washington as part of his tour of North America. The NDI is a non-profit organisation working to strengthen and expand democracy worldwide by promoting citizen participation, openness and accountability in government. Nana Akufo-Addo said even though Ghana’s democracy had come of age, it was still important for the international observer community to observe this year’s election to help avoid disagreements. “Many Ghanaians are of the view that we have become matured enough to conduct our own elections without the endorsement of foreign observers. I am however, of the opinion that the verdict of International Observers would more likely be acceptable to the people as opposed to that of Local Observers who no matter the neutrality they display would still be tagged as belonging to one party or the other,” he said. He commended the NDI for its role in the promotion and sustenance of multi-party democracy in Ghana, in particular, and Africa, generally and urged it to continue to show greater interest and commitment to Ghana’s democracy. Nana Akufo-Addo said Ghana was on course to creating a free modern society where hard work, excellence, liberty and duty were freely exercised by the citizens. He said Ghana had a great future ahead and his task, when elected into office, would be to instill in the people a greater sense of self-belief, can-do spirit and attitude which were required to transform the economy, modernise the Ghanaian society and create prosperity for most Ghanaians. “The world has seen the Asian tigers” he said. “It is high time the world also saw some African lions. And, Ghana is set to be the first of such African lions,” he said. Nana Akufo-Addo explained that if Ghana was to become such a “lion” then it needed to maintain the peace and stability that she was enjoying today. He therefore urged other contestants in the December elections to accept the verdict of the people in good faith. “It is important that we trust the integrity and wisdom of the Electoral Commission,” he said. “Attacking and seeking to destroy their integrity would not augur well for the conduct of the elections and the sustenance of peace afterwards,” he cautioned. The President of NDI, Kenneth Wollack, praised Ghana for her democratic practice and urged Nana Akufo-Addo and other leaders of the various political parties to guard Ghana’s achievements jealously since Ghana had always served as the beacon of hope and enlightenment for the rest of the continent. He said NDI had a responsibility to encourage and nurture multi-party democracy, not just in Africa, but in the world at large. Mr Wollack gave the assurance that NDI was not about to abandon Ghana nor any country committed to democratic growth and accountability. Source: GNA