11TH NOVEMBER 2011 STATEMENT BY NANA AKUFO-ADDO, THE 2012 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OF THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY OF GHANA, AT THE 11TH PARTY LEADERS’ MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRAT UNION, HELD IN LONDON ON 11TH NOVEMBER, 2011 ON “STRENGTHENING FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY IN THE 21ST CENTURY”

We have seen vivid images this year, particularly in Europe, Africa and the Arab world, depicting both the challenges and opportunities in democracy. Globalisation has enhanced the universal appeal of freedom and democracy. At the same time, it has also brought to the fore democracy’s greatest challenge in the 21st century – the achievement of global stability with the elimination of global hunger and poverty.

In 1947, when the founders of my party and our independent nation gathered to lay the foundation for a democratic and prosperous Ghana, free of colonial rule, they did so against the backdrop of the emerging Cold War. The promise of the independence movement that freedom would lead to a significant improvement in the quality of life of the African peoples was, however, cruelly subverted by decades of authoritarian rule in post-colonial Africa.

Yet through it all, democratic forces in Africa, like my party, the New Patriotic Party of Ghana, continued to believe that the principles of democratic accountability, respect for the rule of law and human rights, and a strong market economy, with good management of public finances, provided the most effective bases for Africa’s authentic development. Hence, the motto of our party: Development in Freedom. These beliefs have been vindicated by today’s paradigm.

The current wave of democracy in the Arab world will, no doubt, add its own rich contribution to the process. It is clear, however, that democracy is successful where it enjoys domestic ownership. It must not be seen as an imported governance culture, even though its values are of universal validity.

For many of us, who, for several decades, have been at the forefront in the fight against authoritarian rule and for freedom and democracy, the good news is that Africans today recognise democracy as the most desirable option in addressing poverty, creating wealth and building a new society of aspirations and opportunities for every African. Hope has been rekindled. Thus, in the conditions of the continent, the most important investment that has to be made is education. It is for this reason that I have made access to free, quality public education for every Ghanaian child the number one priority of my party’s programmes. That is the basis of the fair, economically dynamic society we want to create -- a society of enterprise and individual initiative.

It is tragic that a continent blessed with the world’s richest natural resources remains the poorest today because it failed in the past to add any real value to its raw materials. We are determined to change that now. My party, for example, is campaigning on the message that it is time to build a potent value added economy in Ghana, driven by a confident, educated workforce.

Next year, Ghana returns to the polls. We have begun the process of compiling a new voters’ register using biometric technology to eliminate multiple registration. But, more importantly is the need to eliminate multiple voting. That is why my party is calling for a biometric verification system at the point of voting. For freedom and democracy to grow in Africa, countries like Ghana, that are seen to be leading the way in democracy, must be supported actively by the democratic forces in the international community to continue to do so. Entrenching and broadening the values and benefits of freedom and democracy is a 21st century imperative for Africa’s development. The new, democratic Africa must be neither pawn nor victim, but a responsible, independent actor in the new global order.

Our warm thanks go to the Conservative Party of Britain for the hospitality and organisation of this conference.