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The Gallant Cadres of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have called on politicians across the country to restore integrity, fairness and accountability to Ghana’s political system, insisting that politics should no longer be associated with the widely used description of a “dirty game.”
In a press statement signed by the group’s Public Relations Officer, Comrade Richard E.A.S. Sarpong (Father Casford), the Cadres argued that politics has earned the negative reputation because of unethical practices by some political actors rather than the democratic process itself.
According to the group, while slogans are generally designed to inspire confidence and promote positive values, it is unfortunate that politics is commonly described as a “dirty game” due to corruption, propaganda, manipulation, abuse of power and dishonesty by some politicians.
The statement noted that politics plays a vital role in organising society, promoting democratic governance and fostering national development, stressing that these noble objectives are often undermined by individuals who pursue personal interests at the expense of the public good.
The Gallant Cadres identified misinformation, character assassination, corruption, misuse of public funds, unfulfilled campaign promises, ethnic and religious divisions, and electoral manipulation as some of the factors that have eroded public confidence in politics.
The group also expressed concern over alleged irregularities in the ongoing internal elections of both the ruling NDC and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
It claimed to have received reports of attempts by some Members of Parliament and party executives to influence election outcomes by sponsoring filing fees for preferred candidates, maintaining old executives and manipulating results in favour of selected individuals.
According to the statement, such practices undermine internal democracy and deny party members equal opportunities to contest leadership positions.
The Cadres further urged regional, constituency and branch executives of political parties to conduct internal elections with transparency, fairness and integrity to safeguard the credibility of the democratic process.
They also appealed to politicians to reject arrogance, corruption and abuse of office, reminding public office holders that leadership should be guided by honesty, service and accountability.
The group stressed that restoring public trust in politics requires collective commitment from political leaders, party executives and grassroots members.
“The negative perception of politics can only change when politicians themselves demonstrate integrity, fairness and respect for democratic principles,” the statement said.
The Gallant Cadres concluded by calling on all political stakeholders to work together to eliminate the “dirty game” tag and promote a political culture founded on transparency, justice and national development.
