A former District Chief Executive for the then Asunafo District, under Flt Lt. Jerry John Rawlings government, Mohamed Kwaku Doku, has advised Ghanaians to eschew all political differences to consolidate the peace in the country, for development. Speaking in an interview with The Chronicle at Goaso, Mr. Doku noted that now that Prof. John Evans Atta Mills had been elected as the next president of the country, the sole responsibility for Ghanaians was to support him, regardless of one's political affiliation, implement the policies and programmes in developing Ghana. According to him, the accusations and counter-accusations that characterised the campaign period must cease, in order not to ignite passions that could generate chaos to distort the smooth transition of government, after the hectic electioneering period. Mr. Doku, who was the NDC parliamentary candidate in the just-ended general elections in the Asunafo North Constituency, advised jubilant supporters of the NDC to beware of how they celebrated the victory, stressing that peace could only prevail if one does not infringe on the other's rights. "The victory is not for the NDC alone, but for the entire country, so we must avoid scolding our colleagues from the NPP, to help consolidate peace and unity for development," he added. He stated that Ghanaians had proven to the entire world that the democratic dispensation of the nation was gradually gaining strength, and valued by the citizenry, who are discerning enough in terms of political preferences. Mr. Doku extended an olive branch to the other political opponents, particularly the NPP, to take the defeat in good faith and join the NDC in their victory, whilst cooperating with the next government in building the country together. According to him, the NPP government did their best in developing the country, but the electorate wanted a change, and had therefore given the nod to Prof. Mills, who has contested the presidential election on three occasions. So the NPP should not worry much, but wait patiently, as the NDC did for eight years to assess themselves and identify where they went wrong. He commended the Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan, for the courage and fairness in exercising his duty to ensure a peaceful election. He also commended Nana Akufo-Addo for conceding defeat, to demonstrate his belief and support for peace in Ghana. However, Mr. Doku urged the NDC not to be carried away by the jubilations, but remain focused in fulfilling the promises made during the campaign, to maintain the trust of Ghanaians who voted for a change. He said there was a limited time for jubilation, therefore, Prof. Mills and the winning team should urgently set the policies implementation machinery in motion, after the January 7 transition. Credit: Chronicle